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.
BEIRUT: Thousands of people converged Saturday on central Beirut to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese former premier Rafiq Hariri.Waving Lebanese flags and carrying pictures of the slain leader, men, women and children gathered under sunny skies in Martyr's Square where members of the parliamentary majority were to address the crowd. The rally comes as final preparations are underway in The Hague for the launch of the international tribunal set up to bring Hariri's killers to justice. It also comes as the country prepares for legislative elections in June that will pit Western-backed political parties against a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Syria and Iran.Hariri died in a massive car bombing on February 14, 2005 that also killed 22 others. The assassination was widely blamed on then Lebanese power-broker Syria, which has denied any involvement. The attack on the Beirut seafront was one of the worst acts of political violence to rock Lebanon since t...
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