Muzaffarnagar riots: If found guilty, I am ready for harshest punishment, says UP Minister Azam Khan

Under fire after two police officers reportedly admitted delaying action to contain Muzaffarnagar riots under "political pressure", UP Minister Azam Khan today said he has nothing to do with it and that he didn't want to give any clarification. "The news channel which has aired the sting operation should itself a conduct a probe into it....All my phone numbers including that of my residence and office should be scanned....

"And if I am found guilty, the channel should tell the punishment for me...I will accept the harshest of punishments, if found guilty....I am not that type of a person," Khan told reporters here. He alleged that in the sting operation, the channel's reporter put words in the mouth of a police officer and added that there was a beep sound when the question was asked. "This is not fair. Why is there a beep sound when the reporter is asking a question," Azam said.

Two police officers in Muzaffarnagar district were last night shifted in the wake of a sting operation by a news channel, in which they reportedly admitted to having delayed taking action to contain the violence under "political pressure". Inspectors of Budhana and Fugana police stations were shifted last night. The police termed the transfers as routine. Khan said that he has never interfered in administrative or police working and would "prefer to die instead of doing something like that".

"Such a trend, where a camera shows such a thing without verification is damaging....We could pay a big price for that some day, if such a trend is not checked....I am a simple person and will not take any action," he said.