While the ruling Samajwadi Party has endorsed the decision of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to boycott the proposed lecture in Harvard University protesting the frisking of Urban Development Minister Mohammad Azam Khan, the BJP has alleged that by his conduct the prestige of the country has been compromised abroad.
The state spokesman of the SP Rajendra Chaudhri while talking to mediapersons said that frisking of Azam Khan was done because he was Muslim. " This actions confirms that USA firmly believes in apartheid and racism and by boycotting the Harvard programme the Chief Minister has given a fitting reply to the America" he said adding that America was manifesting his dictatorial attitude by frisking the important personalities of India.
The SP spokesman alleged that due to the inconsistent and submissive foreign policy India was viewed as a weak nation across the world. " The China has infiltrated 19 km inside our territory but we are protesing only on papers which makes the image of the nation of a weaker one" Chaudhri added. He said that by boycotting the Hardvard programme Akhilesh Yadav has proved that he was a true socialist and ardent follower of Dr Ram Manohar lohia.
However taking the contrary view, the BJP has said that Chief Minister should have attended the Harvard programme and apprise the world about the greatest religious conglomeration of the world called Kumbh. "As for Azam Khan is concerned he is well known for making a mountain of a mole hill and this was exactlky what happened in USA" said the state BJP president Dr lakshmikant Bajpai while talking to mediapersons in Meerut.
Bajpai also said that it was intriguing that when Mohammad Azam Khan did not visit Kumbh site when many people were killed in mishap why was he eager to attend the lecture at Harvard regarding the Kumbh. It is also beyond any logic that why the Chief Secretary was sent to attend the Harvard programme when the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleague Khan skipped it.
"It is known to every one that the Chief Secretary is the bureaucratic head of the state and if it attend any programme it is assume that the government itself attended it" Bajpai said adding that taking pretext of religion or caste every now and then was not a healthy sign in a democratic set up as Khan claimed that he was frisked because of being Muslim.