In unprecedented scenes on the first day of the new Assembly session in Maharashtra, MLAs belonging to Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) slapped and roughed up Samajwadi Party’s Abu Azmi for taking the oath in Hindi.

The House suspended four MNS MLAs for four years for breach of privilege and insulting a woman representative, bringing the effective strength of the party, which is making its debut in the Assembly, down to nine.

The four — Shishir Shinde from Bhandup, Vasant Gite from Nashik, Ram Kadam from Ghatkopar and Ramesh Wanjale from Khadakwasla — were also barred from entering the Assembly premises in Mumbai and Nagpur during the period.

Thackeray, who had demanded that the swearing-in be only in Marathi, wrote a three-page letter to all 288 newly elected MLAs: “You are all elected by the people to protect Marathi language and pride in the House. It is, therefore, your responsibility to ensure that it is not disrespected.” MNS workers and MLAs distributed the letters to members before and during the session.

Azmi, a former Rajya Sabha MP who has been elected from Mankhurd- Shivajinagar in the eastern suburbs as well as Bhiwandi, demanded legal action against MNS MLAs and Thackeray even as he promised that he would learn Marathi.

“There are hundreds of people in this cosmopolitan city who come here for a living and do not know the language. Since I don’t know Marathi, I chose to take oath in Hindi which is the national language and is constitutionally permitted... I’m upset that the government did not anticipate the trouble and give protection to me,” said Azmi.

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