Fearing Atiq Ahmad-like shootout, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan asks this

Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan asked a crowd while campaigning for Uttar Pradesh civic polls in Rampur whether they want him and his family to be shot dead in a manner similar to gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad. Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were shot dead by three assailants outside a hospital in Prayagraj when the duo was being taken by police for a medical check-up. (Also Read | 'How did killers know?': SC's tough questions to UP govt over Atiq Ahmad killing)

"What do you want from me and my children? Do you want someone to come and shoot us in the head? That's all that is left... Save Nizam-e-Hind, save the law, you don't have to offer anything, you just have to encourage yourself. Sit wherever you get stopped and try to move forward instead of stepping back," said Khan, as quoted by ANI.

Azam Khan, who is suffering from a prolonged illness, took to the stage after a long time to campaign for Samajwadi Party candidate Fatima Zabi contesting for the presidential post of Rampur municipality. Khan attacked the BJP-led central and state governments, calling his opponents "political eunuchs."

"Those who are saying today that the municipality is on contract, they had put the whole country on contract, Red Fort has been sold, airports have been sold, ports have been sold, railways have been sold, what is left? Only the army is left. It's with Hukumat-e-Hind, it should remain. Our army and the government's army are two different things. Our army is yours and we have seen this army fighting at every corner and have won," he said.

"'Vazir-e-Azam' (Prime Minister) of India has mentioned your Rampur assembly seat in a Hindustan of 150 crore people, this is your status. There is so much fear of you, and this fear is not of any caste, nor of my being a minister, nor of my being an MP or MLA, but it's the fear of our unity and the trust we share. Whatever happened, whether I remain a member of the Legislative Assembly or not, a person who's in his young age, his legislature was abolished twice, mine and Abdullah's (his son) right to vote were abolished," he said further.

Khan was an MLA from Rampur Sadar but was disqualified from the legislative assembly after a court sentenced him to three years in jail in a hate speech case. The case was registered against Khan for levelling serious allegations against administrative officials posted in Rampur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath in 2019 during an election rally.

(With ANI inputs)