By News18,Shuddhanta Patra

Copyright news18

Samajwadi Party leader and Maharashtra state president Abu Asim Azmi has once again courted controversy, this time over his refusal to speak in Marathi while addressing the media in Bhiwandi, Thane.
‘What’s the need for Marathi in Bhiwandi?’
On Wednesday, when asked to respond to questions in Marathi, Azmi retorted, “Why do you need to speak in Marathi? This is Bhiwandi.” Bhiwandi, where the incident took place, has a large Muslim population and is considered a stronghold of Azmi.
‘I Love Muhammad’ controversy
The statement came amid an ongoing debate over the “I Love Muhammad” slogan row. Addressing the issue, Azmi defended the right of individuals to express their religious sentiments freely. He stated that just as Hindus say “Har Har Mahadev”, Muslims should not be stopped from saying “I Love Muhammad”.
Azmi went further, alleging that Muslims were being unfairly targeted. Referring to an incident in Ahmednagar, he claimed that slogans written on the ground were trampled upon, provoking anger, yet when Muslims expressed devotion publicly, cases were filed against them. “If a Muslim celebrates, you send them to jail. The government has taken it upon itself to marginalise and destroy Muslims. There is no such thing as law,” he said.
With state politics already heated, Abu Azmi’s latest remarks may once again place him at the centre of a storm.