'Azam Khan Is, And Will Remain Vital To SP': Akhilesh After Meeting Jailed Leader

(MENAFN- IANS) Rampur (Uttar Pradesh), Oct 22 (IANS) Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday met party General Secretary and founding member Azam Khan at Rampur jail and asserted the veteran leader would continue to remain an important figure in the party.

He alleged that no political family had faced as much injustice as Azam Khan's family and said the meeting also involved discussions on the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Akhilesh Yadav said,“I am returning after meeting the respected Azam Khan Sahib. Azam was, Azam is, and Azam will remain. No family has faced as much injustice as his family. No political family has faced as much injustice as the family of the respected Azam Khan Sahib.”

Questioning the BJP over the cases against Azam Khan, the SP chief alleged that false cases had been filed against him and that he had spent several years in jail.

"Who is responsible for this injustice? False cases have been filed against him. He has spent so many years in jail. The truth is that the Bharatiya Janata Party has no concern for education or knowledge. It has no interest in education or the universities that shape people's futures," he said.

Akhilesh Yadav asserted that false cases could not suppress the truth indefinitely.

"False cases do not have the power to keep someone imprisoned forever. It may take time, and there may be some delay, but false cases do not have the power to keep the truth imprisoned," he said, adding that the Samajwadi Party's relationship with the people of Rampur went beyond politics and was rooted in an emotional bond.

Referring to his meeting with Azam Khan, Akhilesh Yadav said the party shared a family-like relationship with its supporters in the region. He also remarked that those extending respect should not be taken advantage of.

Asked about the discussions during the meeting, he said they had held a detailed conversation about the upcoming elections.

“We had a lengthy discussion. A list of our alliance partners regarding the elections has been prepared, and I have brought that list with me after discussing it with him,” he said.

The SP chief also criticised those he accused of conspiring against political opponents, saying they would eventually have to answer to society, the country, and the law when the truth emerged.

Taking aim at the BJP over the situation in Rampur, Akhilesh Yadav said the spirit of Ram Rajya had been undermined in the region.

“Rampur is a place with a name associated with Ram, yet the spirit of Ram Rajya is being strangled and destroyed here. Who would know this better than you?” he said.

Reiterating the Samajwadi Party's political objective, he said the party was determined to defeat the BJP in the 2027 Assembly elections.

“The Samajwadi Party's goal is clear: to defeat the BJP. Every Samajwadi Party worker is ready to work towards this objective. The BJP leaders will have to face the consequences of their actions. The people of Uttar Pradesh will erase the Bharatiya Janata Party from the state's political landscape once and for all,” he said.

Akhilesh Yadav further accused the BJP of being disconnected from education and knowledge and alleged that its leaders had joined hands with corrupt officials. He also accused them of being involved in vote theft, intensifying his attack on the ruling party ahead of the next Assembly elections.

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