Senior Samajwadi Party, leader and Lok Sabha candidate from Rampur Uttar Pradesh, Azam Khan said that the government’s response to the Pulwama terror attack was delayed. He claimed that had he been the Prime Minister, he would have responded faster.
“I believe that our government delayed the response to the Pulwama attack. Had I been the prime minister, I would not have taken more than 40 seconds to respond”, Khan told Hindustan Times in an interview.
Khan also said that without questioning the government over attacks in Pakistan, he wanted to know why no funerals were held for the persons killed in the Indian air strikes. On the question whether he would invite Mulayam Singh Yadav to campaign for him, Khan said that he did not with Netaji’s wish for Narendra Modi to become Prime Minister again. “I don’t have any differences with him, but I am against his wish for Narendra Modi to become PM”, he said.
The BJP has fielded former SP member Jaya Prada who recently joined the party from Rampur Lok Sabha constituency against the SP stalwart Azam Khan. Jaya Prada had accused Khan of harassing her and attempting an acid attack on her.
Recently Azam Khan’s close aide and SP Sambhal District President Firoz Khan made some indecent remarks against Jaya Prada. He said that the residents of Rampur will now stay entertained and their evenings will be colourful as Jaya Prada would be visiting the district for the campaign.
Khan is also known for making controversial statements. Last year, sedition charges were filed against the SP leader for making anti-Army remarks. Khan had made remarks that suggested that Indian Army indulged in rapes. “Armed women attacked soldiers and cut off their private parts. They cut the part they had problems with. India should be ashamed. How will the country face the world now?”, Khan had remarked.
