Uttar Pradesh minister Mohd Azam Khan hits out at Sakshi Maharaj over Madrassas barb

In an apparent attack on BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj for his statement that "madrassas were giving education of terrorism", Uttar Pradesh minister Mohd Azam Khan on Tuesday said the statement has come from a person who had faced rape charges.

"The statement on madrassas, which are promoting muslim education, has come from a person, who had faced rape charges," Khan, without taking name of the BJP MP, said while addressing a function here.

"A rapist is trying to break the country by labelling madrassas as a place of ISI and 'love jihad'. A person cannot become saint by merely wearing saffron clothes," Khan said.

BJP MP from Unnao Sakshi Maharaj had told reporters on September 14 that, "Education of terrorism is being given in madrassas. They (madrassas) are making them terrorists and jihadis. It is not in national interest." On 'love jihad', Khan said that the issue was being raised by some people, but "love and jihad are tools to counter evil and both cannot be added together".

On the issue of allegedly banning entry of Muslims in "garba", Khan said it was an attempt to break secular structure of the country.

"The Muslims are being teased by banning their entry in garba and asking them to go to Pakisatan. The media, which raised Badaun incident will not say anything on this as it was with fascist forces," he said, adding, "Mulsims are feeling insulted".

BJP MLA in Madhya Pradesh Usha Thakur had recently asked party workers to ensure that Muslim youths are not allowed to enter Garba venues in her constituency, Indore (3), during the upcoming annual Navdurga festival alleging that Hindu girls are lured by them and converted to Islam as part of the "love jihad" to distort population ratio in the country.

On the bypolls results, Khan said people of the state defeated "communal forces" by electing SP on eight (out of 11) seats.

Sakshi Maharaj had faced rape charges from two women in 2000 and had to spend a month in Tihar and Etah jails. He was exonerated in 2001 due to lack of evidence. He was then a Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP.