The Hindu : National : Azam Khan indulging in anti-party activity: Mulayam

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Azam Khan indulging in anti-party activity: Mulayam

Atiq Khan

“Samajwadi Party stands solidly behind its candidate Jayaprada”

— Photo: PTI

Upset: Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh addresses an election rally in Moradabad on Saturday.

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh on Saturday accused his party colleague, Mohammad Azam Khan, of indulging in anti-party activity aimed at harming its prospects in Rampur.

Mr. Mulayam Singh also indicated that his colleague’s days in the party were numbered.

Mr. Singh made it clear that the party stood solidly behind its candidate Jayaprada and national general secretary Amar Singh.

This was for the first time that the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister went public on his senior colleague’s acts of defiance. He did this in Rampur, Mr. Khan’s pocket borough, addressing a poll rally in support of Ms. Jayaprada.

Mr. Khan has been opposing Ms. Jayaprada’s candidature from Rampur. Elections here are to take place in the last phase of elections on May 13.

The SP president said that in 2004 it was Mr. Khan who prevailed upon him to field her from Rampur, though he was reluctant.

After Mr. Khan assured him that the Congress candidate would lose, he had finalised Ms. Jayaprada’s nomination from Rampur. Wanting to know why Mr. Khan was opposing her now, Mr. Singh said that if there were any differences he should have met Ms. Jayaprada to sort them out. “Women are very soft-hearted,” the SP chief remarked.

He slammed Mr. Khan for opposing a candidate approved by the party. Mr. Khan has said he is a founder-member of the party but has anyone heard of cutting the tree grown by himself, Mr. Singh asked.

The Rampur rally was attended by Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan and Maharashtra unit chief Abu Aasim Azmi. Mr. Khan stayed away. Mr. Amar Singh was away campaigning in the Kheri parliamentary constituency.

Khan’s reaction

Mr. Khan told journalists that he was dismayed by Mr. Mulayam Singh’s statement.

He reiterated that Ms. Jayaprada was not the issue. His opposition was to the alliance with Kalyan Singh. There was no place for the former BJP leader in the SP. Muslims would never forget the demolition of the Babri Masjid and Mr. Kalyan Singh’s role in the episode, he added.

Amar says sorry

PTI reports from Lakhimpur Kheri:

Seeking to bury the hatchet a day after firing salvos against Mr. Azam Khan, SP general secretary Amar Singh on Saturday expressed regret for his action, saying he had been overpowered by emotions.

“I feel sorry for what I uttered publicly in Rampur, ignoring the instructions of the party president Mulayam Singh, who had advised me to maintain silence over the issue,” Mr. Amar Singh told journalists in Pallia.

“Emotions overpowered me when I watched a woman being humiliated, my party leaders being insulted and myself facing threats in Rampur,” he said in an obvious reference to Mr. Khan’s criticism of Ms. Jayaprada. — PTI

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