Azam Khan`s detention: UP CM cancels New York Consulate reception

The Chief Minister is scheduled to leave for India from New York JFK Airport on Sunday and Azam Khan on Saturday by scheduled British Airways flight.

New York: A miffed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, now in US, has cancelled a reception to be hosted in his honour by the New York Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay on Friday besides boycotting the Harvard lecture in protest against his minister Azam Khan`s detention at the Boston airport on Friday.

A communique from the Consulate General of India in New York merely stated "that due to unavoidable circumstances, the reception scheduled to be held in honour of Akhilesh Kumar Yadav, Hon`ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on April 27 at the Consulate General of India, New York has been cancelled". Neither the Consul General Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay, who took charge on Wednesday after his assignment as Ambassador of Maldives nor Minister (Press and Information) M Rajaram was available for any comments to the media on the reason for cancellation of the reception. This is the first official function of the Consulate after Muley took charge. Invitation to the reception were sent out to all the prominent Indian-Americans, community leaders, elected officials, friends of India in New York and the media two days ago after the consulate got the confirmation from the Office of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. The Chief Minister is scheduled to leave for India from New York JFK Airport on Sunday and Azam Khan today by scheduled British Airways flight. Khan, a senior leader of the ruling Samajwadi Party in UP and also the state Urban Development minister who was accompanying Yadav, was detained for about 10 minutes at the Boston Logan International Airport for "further questioning" on Wednesday after he landed in a scheduled British Airways flight from India. PTI