SP leader Azam’s absence from meet draws party's wrath

Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Mohammad Azam Khan’s absence from the party’s national executive meet in an apparent protest over Muzaffarnagar flare-up has left key Samajwadi Party leaders upset.

Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Mohammad Azam Khan’s absence from the party’s national executive meet in an apparent protest over Muzaffarnagar flare-up has left key Samajwadi Party leaders upset.

The cabinet minister was earlier reported as saying that the state government didn’t act in time which led to Muzaffarnagar flare-up.

Reacting to his absence, the Samajwadi Party leaders said he should have either resigned or attended the meeting.

Party’s national general secretary Ramgopal Yadav remarked, "It is a national executive meeting and all prominent leaders are present here...he was not here, but it does not make any difference and his absence was not felt." “With such a behaviour a person lowers his own stature… Either he should not remain the office-bearer and resign or he should have come," Yadav said.

Similar views were expressed by another senior SP leader Naresh Agrawal, who also suggested that if Azam was upset then he should resign. He said, "No person is larger than the party…Akhilesh is chief minister and Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) is the leader...there is no other bigger leader," he said.

Asked whether the party would take a disciplinary action against Khan, Agarwal said it was up to Netaji to decide.

Political observers opine that Azam Khan’s anti-government stand and subsequent absence from the Samajwadi Party executive committee meeting at Agra on Tuesday have sent a wrong message down the cadre.