Samajwadi party leader Mohammed Azam Khan in a controversial statement has said he would support the chief minister Yogi Adityanath if he leads the campaign for the demolition of the Taj Mahal and construct Shiv temple in its place.
“Some BJP leaders have told me that Taj mahal was constructed demolishing the Shiva temple. If the chief minister Yogi Adityanath wants to construct Shiva temple in place of Taj mahal then I will not only support the move I will myself demolish the Taj Mahal’’, said Azam Khan in a statement in Rampur on Friday. “Taj mahal is a symbol of slavery in India and if Yogi Adityanath is willing for the construction of temple there then I will also join him hammer and sickle and I will give him my full cooperation in erasing the symbol of slavery in Agra’’, Azam Khan said. He added: “Yogi Adityanath will have to hit the first hammer and I will join him along with 10-20 thousand muslims in the endeavor. Azam Khan known for making controversial statements has also made this suggestion earlier saying all memorials including Ambedkar memorial in lucknow and Taj Mahal constructed with the hard money of the common people should be demolished.
Questioning the rationale of the release and wide publicity of the video of surgical strike by the Indian army across the border in Kashmir Azam Khan said ``surgical strike is a secret6 action by the armies across the world and Indian Army has not done anything unique operation’’. He added: “The government has released the video only to hide its failure to deliver to the people, the 2019 lok Sabha elections are round the corner and the government wants to escape from its responsibility towards the promises it has made to the people in 2014 lok Sabha elections’’. Azam Khan however rejected the criticism of the chief minister Yogi Adityanath for his refusal to wear the cap offered to him on the Mazar of Sant Kabir Das in Maghar. He said kabir das was a poet not a religious personality so there is no justification in wearing the cap while visiting his mazaar.
