Azam Khan innocent, BJP creating communal tension in UP: Akhilesh Yadav

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today hit out at the BJP for stoking communal tensions in the state and said the party was solely responsible for the riots that were witnessed in Muzaffarnagar. In an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN’s editor in chief Rajdeep Sardesai, the Chief Minister said there is ample evidence to show BJP leaders were trying to create communal tension in Uttar Pradesh. He pointed to the example of Jhansi where a temple had not been a point of contention between the two communities since Independence. “Then why did BJP raise the issue of temple in the area? Sudden communal tension in Jhansi proves the involvement of the BJP,” Akhilesh said. [caption id=“attachment_1130129” align=“alignright” width=“380”] ![Akhilesh Yadav. PTI](https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/AkhileshYadav_PTI_New1.jpg) Akhilesh Yadav. PTI[/caption] The UP chief minister refused to take blame for the recent Muzaffarnagar riots which led to 48 deaths in the state and said that the BJP and the BSP were responsible for inciting communal tension. In an apparent dig at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who refused to wear a skull cap offered to him during his three-day ‘Sadbhavana’ fast in Ahmedabad in 2011, Akhilesh said, “Since I joined politics, I wear a cap. If people give me a cap, I wear it.” When asked if wearing a skull cap isn’t a portrayal of Muslim vote bank politics, Akhilesh said, “There’s no politics here. I wear a skull cap because that makes a lot of people happy.” Akhilesh also reacted to allegations against senior SP leader Azam Khan in connection with the Muzaffarnagar riots saying there is no case against him. “There was no political pressure to not act against Azam Khan. There is no case against him anywhere. Azam Khan is not involved in communalisation,” Akhilesh said. The CM said that Azam Khan has done no wrong and is not being protected because of his proximity to party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. When asked about the suspension of IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, the Chief Minister defended his government’s handling of the issue. “What was the need for Durga Shakti to demolish the Masjid wall? Why didn’t she give notice?” he said. He maintained that the UP government had done nothing wrong in suspending the IAS official and taking months to revoke it. Akhilesh said he decided to revoke her suspension and reinstate Nagpal after hearing her and her husband’s explanation. “It’s a closed chapter now,” he said.

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Azam Khan innocent, BJP creating communal tension in UP: Akhilesh Yadav

In an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN, Akhilesh said there is ample evidence to show BJP leaders are trying to create communal tension in Uttar Pradesh.

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