UP Governor Ram Naik seeks sacking of Azam Khan for 'condemnable' remarks

Gorakhpur: Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik on Sunday said he has sought the sacking of cabinet minister Azam Khan for making comments against him in the state Assembly last month in which the latter had accused him of communally vitiating the atmosphere of the state at the behest of the Modi government. “I have discussed with CM Akhilesh about the removal of Khan several times for his conduct and behaviour. When he returns from England we will talk again,” Naik told reporters. “The terminology used by Khan in the Assembly is condemnable. I’ve written to the CM for his removal from his ministry and informed Parliament. Doing this is my Constitutional right and duty also,” he said. Earlier, the Governor had gone through the CD and script of Khan’s remarks on the floor of the House during discussions on 8 March and written to Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey. [caption id=“attachment_2710146” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Azam Khan. File photo. PTI[/caption] He had taken strong exception to Khan’s comments and questioned his competence as Parliamentary Affairs Minister. “After going through the edited and unedited copies it’s clear that of the 60-line typed comments of Azam Khan against the Governor, 20 lines have been removed. Removal of 33 per cent lines from Parliamentary Affairs Minister’s statement shows his language is not in keeping with the dignity, decorum and traditions of the House,” Naik had said in the letter. Khan has been engaged in a no-holds-barred war of words with Naik for quite some time, with the minister accusing the Governor of being a “kar sevak” and “communally vitiating” the atmosphere in Uttar Pradesh at the “behest” of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. In a stinging remark in the Assembly, Khan had accused the Governor of stalling several bills by not giving his assent and alleged it was giving an impression he was working under the “influence of a party”. Samajwadi Party is in full support of Khan and claimed “communal forces” were behind his “character assassination”. During his visit here, Naik was also asked about the ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ issue, to which he said, “If there is no Bharat Mata Ki Jai in India, how will the world acknowledge it?” On the entry of women into a Shani temple in Maharashtra, Naik said it was a matter of faith and no one can be kept away.