E-Paper
UP poll Phase-II: Jailed Azam in focus as campaign moves to Rohilkhand region
Samajawadi Party has fielded Azam Khan from Rampur assembly seat while his son Abdullah Azam has been given ticket from Suar assembly seat, also in Rampur district that goes to poll on February 14 in phase-II of UP poll
Jailed Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan is on the radar of political parties, with election campaign for the February 14 second phase polling in 55 assembly constituencies of nine districts moving to Rohilkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.
Addressing a public meeting at Bilari, in Moradabad district on Monday, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said: “I have respect for SP leader Azam Khan. He is facing tough times. I pray that he comes out of the difficult moment soon. The Samajwadi Party has no respect for the senior leader can be gauged from the fact that Khan had sent a list of 11 candidates to the SP leadership for tickets in the elections but only one candidate supported by Khan managed to get ticket. The Muslim community should know how much respect the SP has for a Muslim leader.”
Earlier addressing a public meeting in Bareilly, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said under the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government, Muslims have been on the hit list of government machinery. FIRs under strict sections had been lodged against members of Muslim community. They have been put behind bars on trifle issues, she said.
The SP had failed to protect the interest of the Muslims. They are feeling cheated as they have not been given tickets according to their population, whereas the BSP has given more tickets to Muslims. There will be no discrimination against Muslims under BSP government, she had said.
Addressing a virtual meeting in Rampur on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, took dig at Azam Khan. “Under the BJP government there has been no illegal grabbing of land in Rampur. The land grabbers are terrified. The Yogi government will protect people from mafias,” he said.
Addressing a public meeting in Bareilly recently Union home minister Amit Shah said the people should support BJP in the assembly election to ensure that Azam Khan remains behind bars.
Addressing a virtual public meeting in Rampur, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said five years back when BJP came to power in UP Rampur was in grip of lawlessness. Without taking the name of Azam Khan, Yogi said the goons, supported by a local SP leader, terrorized the people. The double engine BJP government established rule of law in Rampur, he further said.
Reacting to statements of rival parties’ leaders, Tanzeem Fatima, wife of Azam Khan and sitting MLA from Rampur, called upon the people to boycott the parties and leaders who were supporting the “imprisonment” of Khan. For the release of Khan from jail, the people should vote for the SP, she said.
SP has fielded Khan from Rampur assembly seat, while his son Abdullah Azam has been given ticket from Suar assembly seat, also in Rampur district.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was to address a public meeting in Rampur on Wednesday but due to inclement weather his programme was cancelled. SP state unit spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said SP is standing solidly with Khan and the SP chief will visit Rampur to address a public meeting in his support soon.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused interim bail to Khan to enable him to campaign for the assembly election. Khan is in jail since February 2020 in the cases lodged against him by the BJP government.
Political observer Adil Khan said Khan is the Muslim face of SP and, despite being in jail for around two years, he holds sway over the Muslim community voters in Rohilkhand region. Rival parties have projected Khan as a radical Muslim leader and to polarise voters on the basis of religion they are raking up his name in the election campaigns. The Muslim vote is decisive in deciding the fate of the candidates on the 55 seats of Rohilkhand region that is going to poll on February 14, he said.
