Patna (Bihar) [India], March 6 (ANI): Amid the ruckus over the statement made by Samajwadhi Party MLA Abu Azmi, AIMIM Bihar president and MLA Akhtarul Iman has expressed strong support for Azmi after his suspension from the Assembly over comments on the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

Iman criticized the BJP for using 'politics of hatred' to gain political mileage, stating, 'BJP has no other work but to have political gains through politics of hatred.'

Iman defended Aurangzeb, calling him a 'noble emperor' and highlighting his contributions.

'Aurangzeb was a noble emperor. He earned a livelihood by stitching caps. He didn't use taxpayers' money on himself. He was buried here. He didn't loot and leave like the British but he served this country. He unified India, stretching it from Afghanistan to Burma (Myanmar), and made it 'Akhand Bharat. He treated both temples and mosques equally,' he said.

Iman also criticized the controversy surrounding the remarks, questioning why such a debate was being stirred up. 'So, why such a controversy is being stoked?' he asked. He further condemned the actions taken against Abu Azmi, labeling them as unconstitutional. 'The action (against Abu Azmi) is unconstitutional,' Iman remarked, urging the Supreme Court to take suo-motu cognizance of the situation.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP MLA Satish Upadhyay said on Thursday that these (Abu Azmi) are the people who consider invaders as their ideals.

'There is a section in the country and Abu Azmi is one of them who consider invaders as their ideals. These are the people who consider those as ideals who came from outside and attacked our country. Not standing with those who made real sacrifices for the country is a reflection of their political mentality,' Upadhyay told ANI.

Earlier on Wednesday, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar suspended Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi for the entire duration of the ongoing budget session over his remarks on Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

Azmi had reportedly said that Aurangzeb was not a 'cruel administrator' and 'built many temples'. He added that the battle between the Mughal emperor and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was for state administration and not about Hindu and Muslim. (ANI)