'Akhilesh met me several times in jail': Azam Khan

New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan has dismissed speculation of a rift with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, asserting that the two share an unbroken political and personal bond spanning nearly 45 years.

In a candid interview with IANS, Azam Khan said, “Akhilesh Yadav came to meet me several times in jail. I have a 45-year relationship with this family. Such relationships don’t end.”

Refuting media narratives of estrangement, Khan added that rumours were manufactured by outsiders and amplified by sections of the media.

“Stories were created by you (the media). You showed us being destroyed so much that even we started believing it,” he remarked.

The SP stalwart, who spent nearly two years in Sitapur jail before release in September, maintained that loyalty and association with the Yadav family remain intact.

“Relationships don’t break because of one meeting or absence of it,” he said.

In a significant gesture across political lines, Azam Khan thanked BSP supremo Mayawati for speaking against a controversial remark by Hindu Yuva Vahini leader and former BJP MLA Raghavendra Singh, who allegedly encouraged Hindu youth to “bring Muslim girls.”

To this, Khan said, “I thank her for what she said. But such matters are better ignored, because reacting gives oxygen to those with indecent intentions.”

Speaking about his time in jail and political struggles, the veteran leader suggested his life story carries important lessons.

“Countless books will be written about my hardships,” he said, emphasising the legal battles, humiliation, and emotional toll he endured.

“This prison cell was once my destiny, but not this time. I am a book myself… many books walk with me,” he added.

Khan, however, ruled out vengeance if SP returns to power. “We don’t take revenge. If we do what they did, what difference will remain?”

With the INDIA bloc shaping its future strategies, Azam Khan’s reaffirmation of his standing with Akhilesh Yadav signals unity within the SP. It suggests the party’s senior Muslim face is keen on a renewed political innings - ahead of high-stakes UP 2027 assembly elections.

--IANS

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