Samajwadi Party national general secretary Shivpal Yadav on Wednesday said jailed party leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan would be made home minister if the SP formed the government in the state in 2027, while accusing the government of subjecting him to “injustice”. Yadav made the remarks after meeting Khan and his son Abdullah Azam at Rampur district jail, where he spent nearly an hour with them.
Addressing party workers and supporters after the meeting, Yadav said the SP would take action against those responsible for the alleged injustice if it returned to power. He also said Khan had sent a message from jail asking SP leaders to travel across Uttar Pradesh and work towards forming the government in 2027.
“A lot of injustice has been done to Azam Khan. When our government is formed, we will take action against those who committed this injustice. We will avenge the injustice done to Azam Khan,” Yadav said.
He added that Khan would be made home minister if the SP formed the government in 2027.
Yadav claimed that Khan was facing severe hardships in jail and alleged that he was being made to lie on the floor and was not being provided medicines and clothes.
“Azam Khan has sent a message from jail that we should travel across Uttar Pradesh and form the Samajwadi Party government in 2027. We should undertake tours and also ask Akhilesh Yadav to travel across the state. Forming the government is the main objective,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“Azam Khan has sent a message from jail that we should travel across Uttar Pradesh and form the Samajwadi Party government in 2027. We should undertake tours and also ask Akhilesh Yadav to travel across the state. Forming the government is the main objective,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Reacting to Yadav’s remarks, BJP leader Dinesh Pratap Singh said former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav were “daydreaming”.
“First of all, Azam Khan must face the large number of cases lodged against him and the legal battle. Thereafter, they can think about any other issue,” Singh said.
Khan is currently in jail following convictions in several cases. In May 2026, an MP-MLA court increased his sentence from seven to 10 years and raised the fine to ₹5 lakh in a case involving alleged criminal conspiracy related to dual PAN cards carrying different dates of birth.
Khan is also barred from contesting elections following his convictions in criminal cases, including a 2019 hate-speech case for which he was sentenced to three years in prison.
Yadav reached the district jail around 10.30am, where a large number of SP workers gathered outside to welcome him. He later visited Khan’s residence and met his wife, former MP Tazeen Fatma, and elder son Adeeb Azam.
Yadav also visited Mohammad Ali Jauhar University and held a meeting with university administration officials.
Khan and Abdullah Azam are also serving seven-year prison sentences following their conviction in the fake PAN card case. An MP-MLA court sentenced both father and son on November 17, 2025.
Yadav’s visit comes amid several cases linked to Khan and Jauhar University and ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Police personnel were deployed extensively in the area as part of security arrangements during his visit.