NEW DELHI: The first day of Maharashtra Assembly after the government formation in the state witnessed noisy scenes as Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers snatched away Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi's mike. MNS may have just 13 MLAs in the 288-member state assembly, but it could not prevent them from creating pandemonium in the house on their maiden appearance on Monday. The newly elected MLAs resorted to unparliamentary method to prevent Samjawadi Party (SP) legislator Abu Azmi from taking oath in Hindi. Azmi termed the MNS action an insult to the national language. "Raj Thackeray has insulted our national language. I think he follows some other Constitution. He should go and live in England if he does not respect India's national language," said Azmi.Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav too strongly supported Azmi. Mulayam said Azmi was only showing his respect for the national language by taking his oath in Hindi. Remote controlled by their party chief Raj Thackeray, the MNS MLAs had no qualms displaying the rowdy behaviour to prevent Azmi from taking his oath. The MNS had earlier threatened to use muscle power in the house if Azmi took his oath in Hindi.As soon as Azmi started his oath in Hindi, the MNS legislators snatched his mike, scuffled with him and tried to tear up the document of oath even as the high profile SP leader continued his read through the chaos. Ahead of the oath taking ceremony, Azmi had been ranged against the Thackerays on both sides of the divide. His decision had raised the hackles of the MNS and the Shiv Sena, both self-styled champions of all things Marathi. Earlier, Raj had written to all 288 MLAs asking them take their oath in Marathi. He also said Hindi is not the national language of Marathis. But an unfazed Azmi ticked off the MNS chief for opposing the national language.
BAGHDAD: Nearly 500 U.S. Army combat engineers who specialize in clearing roads of explosives started shifting to southern Afghanistan."We are probably going to be the beginning of the influx you are going to see to Afghanistan," Lt. Col. Kevin Landers, commander of the Fort Carson, Colo.-based 4th Engineer Battalion, said as crews packed crates and cleaned vehicles for the flight to Kandahar.Obama has ordered 17,000 more U.S. soldiers and Marines to Afghanistan to bolster the 38,000 American troops already battling the resurgent Taliban."We are going to take this footprint out of Iraq," said Landers, whose battalion received word of its reassignment last month just after taking command of clearing roads in Baghdad of bombs and debris.
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