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.
Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in
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