'Days of 'FIEFDOM’ in Rampur over': Top UP govt minister takes dig at Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan

Taking a dig at Azam Khan, Minister Danish Azad Ansari said, "The days of people who consider Rampur as their fiefdom are over. This time the people of Rampur are standing with the development being done by the BJP. People of Rampur will break barriers of religion and vote for the BJP."

Rampur: A day after Samajwadi Party legislator Azam Khan alleged that the Rampur administration and the local police were harassing his family and supporters, Uttar Pradesh Minister Danish Azad Ansari has targeted the senior Samajwadi Party and said the “days of those who considered Rampur as their "bapauti" (fiefdom) were over.” The Minister of State for Minority Welfare made these remarks while addressing a party event in Bajauri Tola where several Samajwadi Party (SP) workers, including Aamir Qamar Khan, considered close to Azam Khan, joined the BJP.

Ansari said, "Allah has given an opportunity to the people of Rampur to defeat the thinking that considers them their 'bapauti'. Start a new cycle of development by defeating such people."

Taking a dig at Azam Khan, he said, "The days of people who consider Rampur as their fiefdom are over. This time the people of Rampur are standing with the development being done by the BJP. People of Rampur will break barriers of religion and vote for the BJP."

Azam Khan was considered a rioting minister: Maurya

Earlier, UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya hit out at Samajwadi Party leader and former MP from Rampur by saying that Azam Khan was counted among the riot-inducing ministers in the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP government.

Maurya said this while addressing a public meeting in support of BJP candidate Akash Saxena at Utsav Palace, Kosi Mandir Road. During this, he aimed at SP leader Azam Khan. "Azam Khan was sleeping in his bungalow when a large number of people died in a sudden stampede that happened during Kumbh Mela, which was organized during the Samajwadi Party regime," Deputy CM said. 

"Azam Khan wants to keep Rampur as his fiefdom, but now the people of Rampur will teach him a lesson in the same way as they taught a lesson in the Lok Sabha by-election," he added. 

Campaigning in Muslim-dominated areas of Rampur, Ansari, the only Muslim minister in Uttar Pradesh, said, "Azam Khan got the votes of Muslims by showing them the fear of the BJP. In return, they did not get their reasonable rights."

During the Assembly elections 2022, the SP tried to create an atmosphere in its favour but BJP returned to power. Now that time has gone that someone can take someone`s vote by threatening, capturing the booth," Maurya said. The Deputy Chief Minister indicted the Samajwadi Party of backing corruption during its tenure. "Hooliganism and corruption were at their peak in the SP government," Maurya said. 

The Rampur Sadar Assembly constituency fell vacant after Azam Khan was disqualified as MLA following his conviction by an MP-MLA court in a 2019 hate speech case. The bypoll for the seat will be held on December 5.

(With ANI Inputs)