Akhilesh meets Azam Khan in Rampur, says 'no political family harassed as much as his'

Rampur: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav met senior party leader Azam Khan at his Rampur residence on Wednesday and inquired about his health. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said Khan has been subjected to "unprecedented harassment" by the state's BJP government.

"I could not meet him earlier in jail, so I came to meet Azam Khan sahab at his home and inquire about his health and well-being," Yadav told reporters after the meeting.

Describing Khan as a senior socialist leader with deep roots in the party and as an old associate of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav said, "Azam Khan sahab is among our oldest leaders. Old leaders have their own distinct aura. He is like a tree for our party, the roots of which run deep. The shade of this tree has always protected us."

Describing the cases lodged against Khan and his family members as "false and politically-motivated", the SP chief said, "No family has been harassed as much as Azam Khan sahab's. The BJP seems to be making a Guinness Record for filing the maximum number of fake cases against one political family."

"His wife, son Abdullah and several associates have been booked in false cases. If someone were to count, it might even enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the most number of false cases filed against one family," he added.

Expressing hope for justice, Akhilesh Yadav said, "We are fighting a big battle together. I wish him good health and hope he gets justice soon."

Referring to recent events, the former chief minister said, "What happened in the Supreme Court also sends a message -- that people from the PDA (backward people, Dalits and minorities) are being insulted time and again. In the Assembly too, I have said that PDA families are continuously being humiliated under this government."

Asked by a reporter whether all differences between Akhilesh Yadav and him were resolved, Khan shot back, asking, "Where did you get that information from?"

Reiterating his support for Khan, the SP chief said, "All the false cases against respected Azam Khan sahab will eventually be withdrawn. He was doing good work through the (Maulana Jauhar) university, but those in power only want to destroy everything good in the society."

He asserted that the government in Uttar Pradesh will change after the 2027 Assembly polls and the "voice of the people will rise again".

This was the first meeting between the two leaders after Khan's release from the Sitapur jail last month.

Akhilesh Yadav flew from Lucknow to Bareilly and then proceeded to Rampur on a helicopter, which landed at the Maulana Jauhar University campus helipad, officials said.

Khan received the SP chief at the helipad.

Ahead of Akhilesh Yadav's visit, Khan told reporters on Tuesday that he would meet only the SP chief and no one else.

Asked about Rampur's SP MP Maulana Mohibullah Nadvi, Khan had said that he did not know him and would not be meeting him.

"There is no programme. Akhilesh Yadav will meet me and I will meet only him," the veteran SP leader had said.

Nadvi was not seen accompanying Akhilesh Yadav in Rampur. When asked, the SP chief said, "I have come here to meet Azam Khan sahab." There has been speculation that Khan would join the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). However, the veteran SP leader has dismissed it.

The founding member of the SP had earlier said, "We have something called character. Character does not mean whether we hold a post or not, it means people love and respect us. And we are not for sale, we have proved that."

A 10-time former MLA from Rampur, Khan faces several criminal charges, including allegations of land grabbing and corruption, which he claims are politically motivated.

He was released from the Sitapur jail after the Allahabad High Court granted him bail in the Quality Bar land-encroachment case, where his name was added during a reinvestigation nearly five years after the FIR was filed.

Akhilesh Yadav had earlier vowed that all "false" cases against Khan would be withdrawn once the SP comes to power in Uttar Pradesh.

The SP currently has 37 MPs, including four Muslims, and 107 MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, including 34 from the minority community.