Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Times of India
The Times of India
National
Kapil Dixit | TNN

Samajwadi Party treats Muslims only as vote bank; come join us, AIMIM writes to Azam Khan

PRAYAGAJ: Even as more and more Muslim leaders in Samajwadi Party continue venting their anguish against the party’s national president Akhilesh Yadav for taking ‘no action’ against rising incidents of atrocities on Muslims in the state, including the imprisonment of the party veteran Azam Khan and his family, and the recent demolition of an SP MLA’s petrol pump, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has appealed to the Rampur MLA to join his outfit.

Extending an invitation to Azam, AIMIM state spokesperson Mohammad Farhan has also sought time from Khan for a meeting. Farhan told TOI on Sunday, “I have sent a three-page letter to Azam Khan, who is currently lodged in Sitapur jail, and have also sought time to meet him.”

In his letter, Farhan has alleged that there were several instances that exposed that the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party was not sympathetic towards Muslims and only treated them as a vote bank.

He claimed that Akhilesh Yadav had used Rampur MLA to garner support of Muslim community for SP in the recent state assembly elections and when the issue of the leader of opposition was raised, Akhilesh never discussed Azam's name.

In the letter, Farhan also accused the SP chief of constantly ignoring Azam Khan. He claimed since Khan went back to Sitapur jail after his treatment, people from across the country were arriving to ask about his well-being but Yadav did not even visit him once.

He said Azam Khan made a huge contribution to SP but neither Akhilesh nor his father had any sympathy for him. He also claimed that neither Akhilesh nor Samajwadi Party would come forward to support Rampur MLA or Muslim community in future. Farhan claimed that the AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has always raised his voice to seek justice for Azam Khan.

He said the entire Muslim community now wants to see AIMIM chief and Rampur MLA on one platform to give a befitting reply to rival camps.

The invite to Rampur MLA Khan is also being seen as AIMIM’s attempt to lure dissenting Muslim leaders from SP for strengthening its presence and hold in the state.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.