Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan has sought the dismissal of the Narendra Modi-led central government for “failing to protect the minorities in the country” and clamping of emergency in the country.
Alleging that the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh was pursuing an agenda to make the country a ‘Hindu rashtra’ (Hindu nation), the urban development and minority affairs minister said in a statement issued late Sunday that President Pranab Mukherjee take note of the deteriorating situation and dismiss the government without any delay.
The controversial minister had earlier threatened to petition the United Nations in the wake of the Dadri lynching.
Reacting sharply to Azam’s statement, state Bharatiya Janata Party president Laxmikant Bajpayi told IANS that it was “climbdown” for the minister who had earlier talked of petitioning the UN but was now talking of the president.
“Sanyukt rashtra se rashtrapati tak aana apne aap mein Azam Khan ki haar ko darshata hai (Moving from the UN to the president indicates Azam Khan’s defeat),” he said while adding that the demand for the dismissal of central government was laughable.
“There is no history of dismissal of a union government by the president, though there are umpteen examples of state governments’ dismissals. I guess Azam Khan is indirectly seeking the dismissal of the Akhilesh Yadav government,” Bajpayi added.
“In case Azam Khan means the dismissal of the state government, I too support him as the security and well-being of all sections of society, including the Muslims, has been compromised under the Samajwadi Party (SP) government,” the state BJP president said.