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New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) In a stark revelation that underlines the growing tensions within the opposition Indian faction, senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan has dismissed the demand for a Muslim deputy chief minister in Uttar Pradesh as mere “symbolism”, arguing that such posts have no constitutional significance and fail to give solid representation to the state’s 19 per cent Muslim population.
Speaking exclusively to IANS just weeks after his release from Sitapur jail, where he spent 23 months behind bars amid multiple criminal cases, Khan, a senior leader of the Samajwadi Party’s minority community and a nine-time MLA from Rampur, reflected on his decades-long association with the Yadav family and asserted that despite rumors of a rift in the media, his relationship with party chief Akhilesh Yadav remains unshakable.
He said, “Relations are not made or broken by meetings.” He also told how Akhilesh had met him several times in jail.
Rejecting the idea of a Muslim deputy CM as “powerless” – a situation where “no one listens” – Khan stressed that true progress demands fair share in decision making, and not ceremonial roles.
Criticizing leaders who wear religious symbols merely for show, he quipped, “Just wearing a cap does not make one a Muslim.”
His comments come amid crucial assembly elections in Bihar in November, where the NDA is facing off against the Grand Alliance, and Muslims are feeling sidelined despite their electoral strength. Khan condemned the faction’s ouster of Asaduddin Owaisi as a self-inflicted wound and expressed his only wish: “Akhilesh Yadav and Muslims should get proper representation in the Indian faction.”
He argued that this contradicted the notion of Muslims being merely a “vote bank”, which he rejected outright.
Pointing to Uttar Pradesh’s history of supporting people-centric governments, he affirmed, “We have used our votes wisely.” Khan’s interview also peeled back layers of his personal trials, painting a picture of resilience built in the face of adversity.
Released in September after the Supreme Court granted him bail in multiple FIRs – claims he had fabricated with identical crime numbers in 27 stations – the 76-year-old has been living a discreet life, staying away from Y-category security for health and privacy reasons. His modest circumstances were exposed; He used to run a household for himself and his wife Tazeen Fatma on a pension. After the Income Tax raid, almost everything was confiscated, leaving only Rs 3,500 in his pocket and 100 grams of gold. “I have to sell my house,” he lamented, as there was no buyer in sight due to the long-standing stigma.
Claiming that he was jailed not for corruption but because of his loyalty to Mulayam Singh Yadav’s socialist ideals, Khan said he would not “avenge” the “injustice” if the SP returns to power in 2027.
On “communal provocations”, such as Raghavendra Singh’s “provocative challenge to bring in Muslim girls”, Khan urged restraint: “It is better to remain silent,” lest silence increase publicity.
His worldview, shaped by organizing two Kumbh Melas without caste or religious bias, remains fearlessly inclusive.
He declared, “I have never looked at anyone through the prism of religion or caste.”
As Bihar votes and Uttar Pradesh eyes 2027, Khan’s voice – quieter after being jailed but no less powerful – signals a Muslim leadership eager for empowerment beyond the elections.
With Akhilesh’s recent embrace, including naming him the star campaigner for Bihar, the stage is set for a reconciliation. But Khan’s core message remains: peace of mind is more important than titles, and real change demands more than gestures.
–IANS
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