Akhilesh Yadav meets Azam Khan

Amidst speculation of a rift in the party leadership, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav went to meet Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan on Friday.

Zee Media Bureau

Lucknow: Amidst speculation of a rift in the party leadership, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav met Samajwadi Party leader and a dominant Muslim face Azam Khan on Friday, who had criticised his own government`s handling of Muzaffarnagar riots, and stayed away from the party`s executive meet in Agra.

Khan, who had been sulking off and on various issues ever since the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in 2011, did not attend the two-day event.

SP national general secretary Ramgopal Yadav had said Khan may have had some urgent work in Lucknow or somewhere else and nothing should be read into it. He also did not agree with the perception that Azmi was critical of the state government.

With calm prevailing in riot-hit areas of Muzaffarnagar, the administration today eased curfew for 12 hours in the district.

Curfew imposed in Kotwali, Civil Lines and Nai Mandi areas of the district on Saturday last following communal violence was relaxed from 7 am this morning till 7 pm, officials said.

Though officials in Lucknow said that there are some 10,000 people taking shelter in camps, unofficial figures put the number to around 45,000 to 50,000. As many as 44 people were killed in Muzaffarnagar and its surrounding towns in the communal clashes.

With PTI inputs

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