Azam Khan, politician

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Career

2019-20: Hard times

Subhash Mishra, February 28, 2020: The Times of India

LUCKNOW: The way the Yogi Adityanath government has brought the powerful SP leader Azam Khan to his knees has few parallels in UP’s political history. The Rampur MP was not only declared a land mafia, but also a goat thief. He has also been hounded by income tax and enforcement directorate sleuths for financial transactions linked to his Jauhar University, though he, along with wife and son, were sent in judicial custody for alleged forgery in the birth certificate of his son Abdullah Azam which he submitted while filing papers for 2017 assembly poll.

Political observers say that closest example of such a subjugation is the taming of firebrand Thakur neta Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya during the BSP government in 2002 when Mayawati was the chief minister. Raja Bhaiya had not only been booked under draconian Prevention of Terrorist Activities (Pota) law but also slapped with charges like stealing of utensils and murder.

Azam is a founder member of SP and his stature could be gauged from the fact that just when he landed at Sitapur jail the party chief Akhilesh Yadav rushed to see him. Earlier, SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, addressed a press conference after long when the BJP government lodged over 80 criminal cases against the Rampur MP.

Earlier also, Azam has been showing his authority and importance by using pressure tactics. Often, his tantrums have embarrassed the party leadership. Be it his constant absence from party meetings, including national executives, and his insistence on not keeping any principal secretary in his urban development department when he was a minister, Azam has been in news for wrong reasons in the past. Once when he didn’t go to Agra for the party’s summit, Akhilesh went all the way to his house cajole him. The secretariat staff didn’t show any such reverence and they went on strike when Azam allegedly misbehaved with his personal assistant.

He had frequent run-ins with governor as well. During the SP regime between 2003 and 2007, he described then governor TV Rajeswar as ‘darban of Sonia Gandhi” (attendant of the Sonia Gandhi). Rajeswar was insistent on sacking him, but then CM Mulayam Singh Yadav saved him by apologising to the governor.

During the 2012-17 SP regime, he again invited the wrath governor Ram Naik when he allegedly used disparaging remarks against him during his speech in the assembly. An enraged Naik sought Azam’s unedited speech and asked CM Akhilesh Yadav to take action against him. Akhilesh, too, expressed regret.

During 2014 LS poll, Azam also earned Election Commission’s censure when he said during campaign that only Muslim jawans fought and won Kargil for India. It saw a counter-polarisation against the SP and it was reduced to just five seats.

During 2019 general elections, he again hogged the limelight by declaring that the Rampur DM (who was pursuing cases against him) would be made to clean his shoes when the SP came to power. He has been accused of forcefully acquiring land during SP regime for the construction of Jauhar University, which has led to 80 FIRs.

Slapping of so many criminal cases against Azam has brought back memories of Raja Bhaiya’s plight during Mayawati’s regime. While Azam’s Jauhar University is facing demolition (HC has just ordered an stay), the BSP government had bulldozed Raja Bhaiya’s riverside sanctuary in his native place Kunda in Pratapgarh. Besides, his palace, Bhadri House, had been turned into an impromptu camp for para military forces.

While by nailing a feudal Thakur leader, Mayawati wanted to send a message that socio-political dynamics was changing, by taming Azam Khan, Yogi wants to give a larger political message. “The more Akhilesh would defend Azam , the more Yogi would brand him a pro-Muslim in the run-up to 2022 polls,” said an analyst.