Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan allegedly gave a tongue lashing to an Uttar Pradesh government officer on whose order his car was stopped from entering Rampur Mandi, forcing him to walk on a muddy stretch to collect his election victory certificate.
Rampur district administration officials said that the incident took place on March 11, the day of counting of votes when Khan, who won from Rampur seat, went to collect his certificate from the returning officer.
Khan was not immediately available for comment.
The SP leader had allegedly fumed publicly at the officer, SDM Rampur Sadar Abhay Kumar, for asking his staff to stop his car. The outburst however was captured on mobile phone camera and soon went viral.
The SP leader told the officer that he should not forget that he was still the ‘elected leader’ of the constituency and continued to be a minister till the formation of a new government and can even take action.
Referring to the path, Azam berated the officer, ‘try walking on that stretch. It is a matter of shame, that there is so much of dirt and filth in the mandi. So much of mud is present everywhere’.
Scolding the official, the senior SP leader said that if had fallen on the muddy path, it would have created a scene.
‘Kyaa isliye aapko transfer karwa ke laaye they? Aap koode mein pade they (Did I get you transferred here for this? You were lying in garbage). Aur itni jaldi nazrey badaltey ho (so quickly you are changing colours),’ Khan’s outburst continued as the official stood in front of him, silent.
He went on to question the officer’s loyalties by asking him, ‘Yeh bhi Modiji ney kaha tha aisey laana hai (Did PM Narendra Modi want that I should be brought here in this manner).’
Throughout the poll campaign, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had boasted of roads, highways and expressways in the state, but Khan was candid in his admission that it was a matter of shame for him that roads in his constituency were in such bad shape.
A nine-time MLA, Khan, won from his traditional Rampur seat defeating Shiv Bahadur Saxena (of the Bharatiya Janata Party) by 46,842 votes.
IMAGE: Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan with his son Abdulla Azam goes to collect the victory certificate in Rampur. Photograph: PTI Photo
