Mumbai, Nov. 8 -- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Friday chanted 'Vande Mataram' outside the residence of Samajwadi Party's Maharashtra President and MLA Abu Asim Azmi after he turned down the BJP Mumbai unit president Ameet Satam's request to join a mass recital of the national song near his home at Colaba in south Mumbai.
Senior BJP leaders, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, State Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Raj Prohit and other participated in the recital.
As chants of 'Vande Mataram' echoed through the locality, security was tightened around Azmi's residence. Police barricades were set up to prevent escalation, while senior officials monitored the situation closely. Despite the charged atmosphere, the gathering dispersed pea...