The President of the Maharashtra unit of the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Tuesday said that his party would contest the BMC polls independently and not join hands with any other party in the state.
Asked if he was distancing himself as he was earlier a part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, Azmi said: "We are secular people. Babri Masjid was demolished but the court considers the people who committed this act as criminals, while some people from the MVA hail the court's judgment. This is against the spirit of the Constitution and the Samajwadi Party cannot align with such people. This matter was discussed with SP President Akhilesh Yadav that the party will contest BMC elections alone."
Regarding the issue arising in the Winter session of the Maharashtra Assembly, the SP leader said, "On Tuesday we raised the issue of bus drivers in the state. As many as 43 people were injured and eight died in a bus accident in Kurla. It was revealed that the driver was not trained to drive properly. At the same time, one person died in an accident in my area Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Assembly constituency. Many people on social media said that liquor was being purchased and kept under the seat of the bus. This is sheer negligence and people are losing their lives. We demand to blacklist the company which is training the drivers and file a murder case against it."
Talking to Hindustan Times, while commenting on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) leader Sharad Pawar's displeasure over Cabinet expansion in Maharashtra, Azmi said: "Ajit Pawar is a part of the ruling MahaYuti alliance. He is the Deputy Chief Minister, but is nowhere to be seen."
SP leader said referring to the discontent over the cabinet posts allocated to the ministers in the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led MahaYuti government in Maharashtra: "This is the call of the Chief Minister. They (BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP combine) will know what suits them best. I say that whoever is in power must do justice to all people of the society, as they have taken oath under the Constitution."
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