Azam Khan makes U-turn, says Bulandshahr gang-rape culprits be punished under Islamic law

Lucknow: After facing flak for seeing a political controversy in the Bulandshahr gang-rape case, controversial Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan made a U-turn on the issue on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters, Azam Khan said he never called the incident a political controversy and that he was misinterpreted by some sections of the media.

“I am a very sensitive person. State Govt is totally with the victims of Bulandshahr incident, I am personally with them more than everyone else,” he said in a statement today.

The culprits must be punished under the strict Islamic law for such a heinous offence, Khan told reporters.

The clarification from Khan came after several political parties attacked him for playing politics over a highly sensitive issue like gang-rape.

Khan had yesterday defined the brutal gang-rape of a mother-daughter duo in Bulandshahr as a ‘political conspiracy’ by opposition against Samajwadi.

Khan said since the state elections are approaching, a desperate opposition could stoop to any level to defame and disgrace the government.

“We must also probe whether this entire controversy is a move by some Opposition elements to defame the government. People who want to come to power may be stooping this low for political interests,” he said.

Khan’s statement comes at the time when the Samajwadi Party government is already facing flak from opposition parties over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.