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Congress plays Muslim card via Azam Khan
UPCC chief to meet Azam Khan in Sitapur jail today, other leaders to meet his wife and son in Rampur and Hardoi prisons respectively
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Ajay Rai is set to meet senior Samajwadi Party leader Mohammad Azam Khan in Sitapur jail on Thursday. Khan has been awarded seven-year imprisonment following conviction in a case of fake birth certificate of his son Abdullah Azam Khan.
Rai, along with UPCC organisation secretary Anil Yadav, UPCC minority department chairman Shahnawaz Alam and Sitapur District Congress Committee president Utkarsh Dixit will meet Azam Khan in Sitapur jail, while other party leaders/workers will meet the imprisoned leader’s wife Tazeen Fatima in Rampur jail and son Abdullah Azam in Hardoi prison. Both Tazeen Fatima and Abdullah Azam have also been awarded seven-year imprisonment in the same case.
“We are going to meet Azam Khan on humanitarian grounds. We propose to stand by them when they are being victimized,” said Rai. Asked whether the gesture would help improve relations between the Congress and the SP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said, “When we stand by them everything will surely smoothen out.”
UPCC organisation secretary Anil Yadav said the Congress was following directives of All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who had always asked party men to stand by those being victimised.
“Jab sab ke lab sil jayenge, haathon se kalam chhin jayenge, batil se loha lene ka ailan karengi zanjeeren (When everyone’s lips will be stitched, pens will be snatched away from hands, chains (zanjeeren) will announce to take on the injustice (batil).) Our quaid @priyankagandhi ji has always taught – when someone is in sorrow, is being victimised or harassed, go and stand by him like a rock. Tomorrow, state president Shri @kashikirai ji (Ajai Rai) and people of the organization are reaching Sitapur jail to meet Mr. Azam Khan. India will fight, India will win,” said Yadav in a post in Hindi on X (formerly twitter).
Yadav said the SP and the Congress were the partners of the INDIA alliance. He said this was also Congress’ attempt to take the alliance from air-conditioned rooms to the grassroots levels. “We will fight together to get justice to those being victimised,” said Yadav.
However, Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary questioned the timing of the proposed visit of Congress leaders to meet the imprisoned Khan and his family members in jail. “Where were they (Congress leaders) till now? Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and partymen are already standing by Khan and his family. The Congress is meeting SP leaders when 2024 Lok Sabha elections are inching closer,” said Chaudhary.
To note, both the Congress and the SP have had a war of words in recent weeks over the former’s reluctance to share seats with the latter in Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.
Meanwhile, Azam Khan’s son Adeeb met his father in Sitapur jail on Wednesday. Those aware of the development said the Congress had forwarded a list of party leaders to Sitapur authorities, requesting their meeting with Azam Khan.
