Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan on Wednesday asserted “I am not up for sale” in response to speculation about joining the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
Khan, who was released from jail after 23 months on Tuesday, added, “We have character. I am not a commodity to be bought and sold. We have proven that one can earn people’s love and respect without being for sale.”
Senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan briefly stepped out of his home in Rampur late in the afternoon on Wednesday to address mediapersons..
On questions about communication with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, he said, “Don’t try to ignite fire now,” and added that he had not been using a mobile phone for years: “I only remembered one number—my wife’s. Now I’ve even forgotten that number and how to operate a phone. How can someone who has spent five years in jail know how to use a phone?”
When asked whether senior SP leaders had met him, Azam said, “I am not a big man, I am just a big khadim (servant).”
Regarding the withdrawal of cases against him, he commented, “Perhaps there will be no need for that. I cannot predict the government formation in 2027.”
Upon his return, Azam Khan embraced his wife Tazeen Fatima and children and posed for photographs. News of his arrival drew over 10,000 supporters outside his residence.
{{/usCountry}}Upon his return, Azam Khan embraced his wife Tazeen Fatima and children and posed for photographs. News of his arrival drew over 10,000 supporters outside his residence.
{{/usCountry}}Supporters from Amroha staged an overnight sit-in outside his home, insisting they would not leave without meeting him.