The Samajwadi President Akhilesh Yadav has promised that all cases lodged against Rampur Member of Parliament (MP) Azam Khan would be withdrawn if the Samajwadi Party comes to power. Senior BJP leader and MP Santosh Gangwar shot back terming the declaration an “unrestrained gossip”.

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Yadav has assured the party's full support to Azam Khan

According to a statement issued by the Samajwadi Party, Yadav made these remarks at Rampur, where he met Khan's family at his residence and visited Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, Urdu Gate and Rampur Public School International. He assured the party's full support to Khan, who is facing several police cases including those related to alleged land-grabbing. Authorities claim that the gate of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, established by Khan in 2006, is built on government land.

Addressing reporters in Rampur, Yadav said, "Once the Samajwadi Party is voted back to power in UP, all the cases lodged against senior SP leader and Rampur MP Azam Khan will be withdrawn. "The relationship with Azam Khan is that of family and not of politics," the statement quoted him as having said.

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'WIll inform of her about the atrocities unleashed by the administration'

Yadav added that he would meet Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Anandiben Patel in this regard, if necessary. "I will inform her about the atrocities unleashed by the administration. Copies of all the FIRs lodged against Khan will be taken and a report compiled." He showered praise on Khan. "He has established fine Ali Jauhar University. He has fulfilled his dreams, and has made this institution for the bright future of children."

"Today, education has become very expensive and this university will help the youth from and around Rampur to get a quality education. Azam sahaab has done a good job of securing the future of the children," he said. Hitting out at Yogi Adityanath led BJP government, the former chief minister said, "The BJP is indulging in politics of vendetta. It is diverting people's attention from real issues."

He said that after the Lok Sabha elections, people were hopeful that the government will usher in development, but it failed. "The Defence Budget, which was meant for Defence Corridor, is going to foreign countries through Apache and Rafale. Make in India cannot be seen anywhere."

"The BJP is taking the country towards fear and hatred. First, the statue of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar was vandalised in Saharanpur, and then a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was vandalised in Jalaun," he alleged. Samajwadi Party workers accorded him a warm welcome at various places from Lucknow to Bareilly and Rampur, the party statement said.

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'Akhilesh Yadav's difficulties will increase'

Meanwhile, in Bareilly, Union minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour and Employment, Gangwar said, "Akhilesh's difficulties are going to increase. Hence he is afraid and indulging in unrestrained gossip against the government while siding with Azam Khan."

Addressing a press conference over the completion of 100 days of the Modi government, Gangwar said, "Azam Khan's sympathisers would have perhaps forgotten that during his tenure as a UP minister, he had punished an officer in Bareilly by asking him to squat and hold his ears. "Rampur is our neighbouring district. Who else better than us would know about Azam's misdeeds?"

On Friday, before leaving for Rampur, Yadav had said in Sitapur, "Our party leader MP Azam Khan is been targeted by the government. Over 80 cases have been lodged against him within a month. These cases include goat and buffalo theft." 

Read| Azam Khan lands in trouble after police registers 27 FIRs over land grab for university

The case against Azam Khan

As many as 27 FIRs have been lodged against Azam Khan in the last one month on the allegation that he grabbed farmers' land for his university in Rampur, police said. Khan, who was a cabinet minister in Uttar Pradesh during the Akhilesh Yadav-led regime, is the founder and Chancellor of the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University which came into being in 2006. Largely, he said, these cases have been registered under Indian Penal Code sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 342 (wrongful confinement), 447 (criminal trespass), 389 (putting a person in fear of accusation of offence, in order to commit extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation). 

"Since July 11, over two dozen farmers have approached the police with allegations of encroachment of their land for the university. We have registered 27 FIRs in these cases and investigations are underway," said Superintendent of Police, Rampur, Ajay Pal Sharma.

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(Inputs from PTI)