From calling RSS workers 'gay' to wanting the Taj demolished to terming the Bulandshahr gangrape a political conspiracy, here are 15 times SP leader Azam Khan landed in trouble for his remarks
Here are 15 times Azam Khan suffered from foot-in-mouth syndrome!
Senior Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan has a habit of raking up a controversy with his comments. This time he has stirred up a hornet's nest by suggesting that the Bulandshahr highway gangrape could be an outcome of a political conspiracy against the ruling party, drawing condemnation from rival parties.
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The Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister created a controversy by alleging that a "political conspiracy" might be involved in the gang rape of a Noida-based mother and daughter near Bulandshahr.
Controversy's favourite child Mohammed Azam Khan
Mohammad Azam Khan said in Raampur on Monday night that the investigative agencies should explore the possibility of some opposition party being involved in the gang rape.
While justifying the action against policemen on the issue, the minister further said that the government should also keep a watch on opponents as "people can stoop to any levels" in politics.
"To get power politicians can get down to any level, they can murder people, trigger riots, kill innocent people, so the truth has to be found out" he added.
Eight armed men stopped the family car on the Delhi-Kanpur highway early Saturday morning. The men dragged the members to nearby sugarcane fields and proceeded to rape the teenager and her 38-year-old mother. The other members of the family were tied up.
This is not the first time the urban development and parliamentary affairs minister of UP is in the news for his bizarre comments.
Here are 15 other instances when Azam Khan was in news for his insensitive remarks:
Azam Khan to rape victim: Why rake up issue for fame?
Raking up another controversy, Azam Khan told a rape victim in November 2015 not to try and find 'popularity in such a thing of infamy and shame'. The incident occurred during an event in Kanpur where the woman had come to petition the urban development minister on the slow pace of police investigation. At the event, when the woman, allegedly raped in a moving car four months ago tried to raise the matter, Azam Khan snapped back saying: "Agar aap badnami ko itni shohrat dengi, toh zamane ko apni shakl kaise dikhayengi? (If you rake up such a shameful matter, how will you have a face to live in the society?)."
Azam Khan's remarks on Paris attack spark row
Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan stoked a controversy with his remarks on Paris terror attacks saying the "superpowers" should think whether it was a "reaction" to the "killing of innocents" in Arab countries, drawing flak from BJP which demanded action against him. Khan condemned the terrorist attacks in Paris but simultaneously raked up the issue of action by the US and Russia in Arab countries, saying "killing of innocents" anywhere is "not jutified".
"Whatever the terrorists did in Paris was wrong. But, attack on Arab countries and killing of innocents there by US and Russia is also not justified," he told reporters. "We need to look who killed whom first, after that who retaliated. This is a debatable issue. You strike bombs through drones to kill the inncocent.... History will decide who is a terrorist and who is wrong," Khan said last evening.
'Bring back Tipu Sultan's ring with Lord Ram's name on it'
Azam Khan had last year asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring back a ring of the 18th century Mysore ruler from London, which he claimed bore the name of Lord Rama. The SP leader asked the prime minister to bring the ring, which he claimed is "preserved in Britain's museum", and show it to "those BJP activists who have been launching anti-Tipu Sultan stir."
'Mobiles to blame for rise in child rape cases'
Azam Khan in October 2015 blamed the excessive use of mobile phones and easy access to paedophile content for the rise in child rapes. "It is very shameful that a 2.5-year-old child is being raped and children are being burnt. Any punishment is less for a crime like rape, but we need to think what is the truth behind the rape of a 2.5-year-old. The truth is this mobile (phone), the content that you get to see on this for free,” Khan had said.
His statement came after last week saw two minor girls, one aged two-and-a-half, and the other aged five, being gang-raped in separate incidents in Delhi.
“Even in villages the kids in their teens get to see this dirt. We have come to know that there are films which show bad things done to children aged 2 to 5 years. Seeing all this our entire young generation is committing crimes, this raises a big question,” he added.
'PM Modi's 'puppy' has grown into VK Singh's 'dog'
Comparing Minister of State for External Affairs General (Retd.) VK Singh's ‘dog’ analogy to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s controversial ‘puppy’ remark that he had made during the run-up to the general elections in 2013, Azam Khan had said that he was not surprised by the statement as it was the culture rampant in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"I don't see anything wrong in what he has said. The Prime Minister had used the word ‘puppy’ and now the puppy has become a fully grown dog. This is the culture of the BJP and the RSS and it is terribly hurting the nation," Khan had said.
Prime Minister Modi in his term as Gujarat’s chief minister had used a puppy analogy while referring to the deaths in his state in the 2002 riots that triggered a political storm and drew him major criticism.
"Even If I am in the back seat of a car and a puppy (kutte ka bachcha) comes under the wheels, isn't it painful? It is. Whether I am a chief minister or not, I am a human being -- I will be sad if something bad happens anywhere.” Modi had said in an interview to a news agency.
Muslims are victims of 'saffron India': Azam Khan
In an apparent attack on the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre, Azam Khan had in October 2015 alleged that Muslims 'are not the citizens of democratic India but the victims of saffron India'. Khan's comment came in the wake of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's statement that 'Muslims need to give up beef to live in India', which has garnered criticism from the political fraternity.'Clearly this is not a nation that is governed by the Constitution. These comments are always created for targeting the Muslims,' Khan said.
'God's wrath killed Rajiv, Sanjay Gandhi'
Mohd Azam Khan told a stunned gathering at Bijnor town in APril 2014 that the untimely deaths of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and his brother Sanjay Gandhi were "acts of Allah". The senior minister in the Samajwadi Party government of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said both Rahul Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi had committed "serious crimes" and were "punished by Allah" and which is why they met brutal deaths.
Addressing an election rally, Khan said that Sanjay Gandhi was responsible for mass and forcible sterlization during the emergency rule of his mother, former prime minister Indira Gandhi. He accused former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi of incurring the "wrath of gods" as he had presided over the opening of the Babri mosque to Hindus for prayers.
He also said Allah will never spare people who conduct themselves against humanity.
Azam Khan calls BJP's Amit Shah 'Gunda No 1'
Azam Khan had in 2014 also called Narendra Modi's close aide Amit Shah "Gunda No 1", saying he has come to Uttar Pradesh to "create terror".
"Amit Shah, who has come to UP to create terror and is also an accused under Section 302 (killing), is the "Gunda no.1" (Goon no.1)," Khan said about the BJP state campaign manager at a rally in Muslim-dominated Masuri area.
'Would have led mob to demolish Taj Mahal'
In 2013, on a day when Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav expressed his admiration for the Taj Mahal to foreign delegates, his cabinet member Mohammad Azam Khan spoke about razing the 17th century architectural wonder.
The minister said while that the riots after the Babri Mosque demolition saddened him, he would have led the frenzied crowds had they decided to bring down the Taj Mahal.
"Had people decided to demolish the Taj Mahal instead of the Babri mosque, I would have led them," Azam Khan said at a function in Muzaffarnagar.
"Shah Jahan had no right to spend crores from the public coffers on his sweetheart," he said while comparing the 17th century building to the monuments and statues built by former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati.
'Dawood and Taliban paid for Mulayam's buggy'
In November 2014, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav rode an imported Victorian-style 'buggy' and around 40 ministers gathered for his 75th mega birthday bash, fuelling criticism. The criticism was met with a caustic response from Azam Khan, who said that that the Taliban and Dawood Ibrahim provided funds for the event.
When questioned about the funding for the grand event, an irate Khan, who has left no stone unturned to make the celebrations successful, said money has come from Taliban, a terror group and Dawood Ibrahim, an underworld don.
"Why does it matter where the money for celebrations is coming from? Some have come from Taliban, some from Abu Salem, soem from Dawood(Ibrahim), some from terrorists...," he said sarcastically.
'I invite Shiv Sena to come and demolish the Taj Mahal'
The Samajwadi Party leader in Agra stoked a fresh controversy by expressing his support for the Hindu claim on the Taj Mahal and challenged the Shiv Sena to try to demolish it like they had demolished the Babri Masjid.
He made these comments when he was asked for his views on the claims of a select group of historians and the Shiv Sena about the Taj Mahal being 'Tejomahalay', a temple for Lord Shiva, Khan said, "
This left Muslims in Agra enraged, who said the minister was insane and said that when he should visit a mental asylum for treatment.
'Taj Mahal should be handed over to Wakf Board'
Azam had kicked up a row when he suggested that the Taj Mahal, the monument of love in Agra, and the income generated through it should be handed over to the Wakf Board contending that the monument is a mausoleum.
"Taj Mahal is a mausoleum and each mausoleum is 'Wakf' and comes under the Sunni Central Wakf Board. Taj Mahal is a mausoleum of two Muslims Shahjahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Who they are is not a matter of debate."
Khan said in a sarcastic note that "the building constructed over the mausoleum is a different matter. If it is a cheap building, then it would be under Waqf Board and if it is an expensive building, generating revenue, then the Indian government will take the money."
The SP leader said Taj Mahal can create at least two universities and fund their functioning.
'Kargil war was won by 'Muslim' soldiers'
The senior SP leader had in April 2014 come under fire over his statement that it was India's ‘Muslim soldiers’ who had won the 1999 Kargil war against Pakistan.
"India won the Kargil War solely because of Muslim soldiers and no Hindu soldier was behind the victory," he had said at the time.
Addressing a rally in Ghaziabad, the senior Uttar Pradesh minister while asking “Hindus brothers” to embrace Muslims, said,”…isliye mohabbat karo ki Kargil ki pahadiyo ko fateh karne wala koi Hindu nahi tha, balki Kargil ki pahadiyo ko nara-e-takbeer Allah-Hu-Akbar kehkar fathe karnewale Musalman fauji the… (love us because peaks of Kargil were not conquered by Hindus, but by Muslim soldiers raising the battlecry of God is the Greatest).”
RSS volunteers are 'homosexuals'
Azam Khan had kicked up a storm in December 2015 after he was quoted as saying, "many RSS leaders are unmarried because they are homosexuals". Khan made the remarks after being told of Union finance minister Arun Jaitley's comment that the 2014 judgement on gay sex should be 'reconsidered' by the Supreme Court.
Secret tunnel between Narendra Modi and Smriti Irani's bungalow
Azam Khan claimed there was a secret tunnel between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence at 7RCR and Union Minister Smriti Irani's. The SP leader made this claim in an exclusive interview given to the WikiLeaks4India. When asked why people had problems with Irani's bungalow being adjacent to the PM's, Khan said, "I'll tell you a secret... There is a tunnel between Modi and Irani’s bungalow. It is very confidential. After the terrorist attack on the parliament security arrangements were made for the PM. Secret tunnels were made between PM's residence and the nearby bungalow. If I further open my mouth, PM will be nude!"
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