SP cycle yatra to highlight govt’s ‘failure’, ‘atrocities’

BAREILLY: Samajwadi Party leader and Rampur MP Mohammad Azam Khan, who has more than 80 cases relating to land grab and extortion registered against him, has announced to take out a cycle yatra from his constituency culminating in Lucknow to highlight the alleged atrocities on party workers ‘by the Uttar Pradesh government’.

The proposed cycle rally would be led by his son and MLA Abdullah Azam. “We are discussing the route and the date for the cycle rally. It will be announced within a week,” Abdullah said on Monday.

The decision to take out the cycle yatra comes close on the heels of Rampur administration’s move to extern close aide of Azam and SP’s media in-charge Fasahat Ali Khan aka Shanu. Shanu has been barred from entering the city for six months.

The rallyists would be received in Lucknow by Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav himself, according to the plan.

Azam Khan has accused the

Yogi Adityanath government in UP of political vendetta in the cases lodged against him. He also broke down on several occasions while campaigning for his wife Tazeen Fatima during the recent bypoll on Rampur assembly seat.

Azam, who held a meeting with SP leaders before announcing the protest, said atrocities, inflation and corruption were at an all-time high and the protest would highlight these issues. “People who are being victimised and unnecessarily targeted by the district administration will be honoured on a national platform,”Khan said at the meeting.

The announcement has already evoked a sharp response from Azam’s detractors and political rivals who have decided to take out a counter Rath Yatra to demand his arrest.

“Isn’t it strange that Azam Khan has not been arrested despite 80 FIRs and serious charges against him,” said former Congress leader Faisal Lala, who along with local BJP leader Akash Saxena, has been leading a campaign to expose the alleged “misdeeds” of Khan during the SP regime.