SP speaks in two voices over absentee Azam Khan

The crisis within the Samajwadi Party (SP) over senior cabinet minister Azam Khan skipping the party’s national executive meeting precipitated on Thursday as senior party leader Ramgopal Yadav asked for his resignation from the post of party general secretary. Even though SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav tried to mitigate the situation, voices within the party asking for action against Azam Khan have grown shriller.

“If he (Azam Khan) is not willing to perform his duties in the party organisation, he should resign,” Ramgopal Yadav said in Agra where the SP’s two-day national-level meet ended on Thursday. “His absence doesn’t make any difference. Neither was anyone bothered nor was it a matter of discussion,” he said.

On both days, Azam stayed put at his official bungalow in Lucknow. Those coming to meet him, including mediapersons, were told by his staff that the minister was not well and would not meet anyone. Azam is reportedly upset with the Akhilesh Yadav government over its poor handling of the Muzaffarnagar riots. He has generally been dissatisfied with the way his stature has been compromised during this regime as compared to the primacy he got when Mulayam Singh Yadav was chief minister.

As the demand within the party for Azam’s ouster grew strident during the Agra conclave, Mulayam stepped in to prevent the situation from getting unseemly.
“Azam Khan can never be angry with me,” he said at a press conference. “He has stayed away due to some other engagement. I know about it,” he said. The SP, he said, was a democratic party and if anyone was unhappy, he could have his say.

However, the anger within the party over Azam’s defiance continues to grow. “No one is bigger than the party. ‘Netaji’ (Mulayam) should take action against such indiscipline,” said senior SP leader Naresh Agarwal. Several other leaders privately supported the view saying it was high time Azam was disciplined.

Known for his short temper and sharp tongue, Azam is sore with the Akhilesh regime on several counts. He has not attended the past eight cabinet meetings despite being in Lucknow. In fact, he had made his opposition to Akhilesh being anointed CM very clear. He is cut up with the way Akhilesh has been projecting health minister Ahmed Hasan, who shares the stage with the UP CM at virtually every public function.

It is widely known that Akhilesh doesn’t consult Azam on important government decisions. He was not even called for the meeting to discuss the Muzaffarnagar riots.