Azam Khan’s revelations on Muslim politics, relation with Akhilesh Yadav, and source of income

New Delhi, Oct 31 Senior Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan, who was released from Sitapur jail in September after spending 23 months in jail in connection with multiple criminal cases, may appear to have quietened a bit, but behind his carefully crafted demeanour is a clever politician who wants a bigger role for Muslims in the country's political set up.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, Azam Khan spoke candidly about his political journey, his relationship with Akhilesh Yadav, his years in jail, the current state of Indian democracy, and his source of income, his views on communal politics and the representation of minorities.

Here is the full interview:

IANS: What is your assessment of the Bihar elections? Who do you think will win, the NDA or the Mahagathbandhan?

Azam Khan: Politics is a tug of war between parties. Sometimes, someone else’s burden is placed on another’s shoulders. Even when I was in jail, my name and Abdullah’s were on the list of star campaigners, though we obviously couldn’t step out.

Now, due to health and security reasons, I don’t travel. I voluntarily gave up my Y-category security. I mostly live alone or with my close people. Bihar’s condition isn’t good; no one puts their head on a railway track without reason. My heart wants not only to visit there but also to contribute in any way I can.

IANS: Do you not trust the investigating agencies?

Azam Khan: I do trust them, but I want that trust to grow further. That’s why I want international observers, so that no one feels I am seeking any undue advantage. I challenge them: conduct the election under any impartial agency and see if their candidates can even save their deposits.

IANS: Do you think the INDIA bloc can defeat the NDA in today’s circumstances?

Azam Khan: I spent almost one and a half years in Varanasi jail. At that time, it felt like democracy would never return. There was fear everywhere. People who earlier reached offices three or four hours late started arriving on time, not out of discipline but out of fear. The whole nation was under a shadow of dread.

IANS: There’s criticism that while the CM candidate was declared from the Yadav community and the Deputy CM from the Mallah community, Muslims, who form nearly 19 per cent of Bihar’s population, were ignored. What do you say?

Azam Khan: I know very well where this question and its answer come from, and I also know those who raised it. I have no criticism against them; I share good relations with them. I had a close bond with Mufti Sahib, a senior leader. My connection with their politics and legacy has always been deep.

IANS: Do you think Muslims are only seen as vote banks?

Azam Khan: Absolutely not. Those who allow themselves to be used do so in their own way. But to say Muslims exist only to be used is an insult. We have used our votes wisely. In Uttar Pradesh, we supported governments that worked for the people.

IANS: Owaisi often appeals to be included in alliances, but the RJD and Congress refused to take him in, calling him “communal”. Your reaction?

Azam Khan: It’s for those who refused him to answer why they didn’t take him, and for him to explain why he wanted to join. I was not part of that process. My only wish is that Akhilesh Yadav and Muslims get fair representation in the INDIA bloc.

Just wearing a cap doesn’t make one a Muslim. I’ve seen leaders who keep a cap in their pocket, wear it only during minority conferences, and put it back the moment it ends.

IANS: Should Akhilesh Yadav announce a Muslim Deputy Chief Minister in Uttar Pradesh?

Azam Khan: The Constitution doesn’t recognise such a post; it’s merely symbolic. Even in UP, two Deputy CMs exist, but they are powerless; nobody listens to them. Until the Constitution provides for it, the post is meaningless.

IANS: Did you expect Akhilesh Yadav to visit you when you were in jail?

Azam Khan: He has come to jail several times, earlier and recently too. Relationships aren’t made or broken by visits. My ties with that family are over 45 years old; such bonds don’t end easily.

IANS: There were reports of a rift between you and Akhilesh.

Azam Khan: Those were stories created by you (the media). We too started believing them because you only showed us being destroyed. There was a time when the media harmed us deeply -- we were punished for things we never even imagined.

IANS: When you were imprisoned, did you think Mulayam Singh Yadav would have reacted differently had he been alive?

Azam Khan: When I was in jail last time, Netaji (Mulayam Singh) was alive. But today, fake cases are registered using the law as a weapon. In such times, agitation doesn’t help; it only harms. I’ve sensed trouble beforehand and prevented it many times.

IANS: Would you say you’ve suffered more because Mulayam Singh is no longer around?

Azam Khan: Injustice was my destiny. But can you guarantee it won’t happen again? During my bail hearing, Kapil Sibal worked very hard; he presented every detail before the court. Within ten minutes, 27 FIRs were filed against me, each from a different police station but with the same crime number. Even the Supreme Court said, “Let him have preliminary bail in all.”

IANS: Recently, a controversy broke out when Raghvendra Singh, the state in charge of Yogi Adityanath’s Hindu Yuva Vahini and a former MLA, challenged Hindu boys to “bring Muslim girls”, even promising them jobs for doing so. BSP leader Mayawati strongly condemned his remarks and spoke in defence of Muslims. What is your response?

Azam Khan: Look, I thank her for what she said, but on such matters, it is better to remain silent. Because if we comment on something so disgraceful, we end up amplifying its propaganda. People with such a degraded mindset only want a reaction to their indecent words.

IANS: What is your source of income now? How do you manage household expenses?

Azam Khan: My wife and I both receive pensions. No one else in India has won from the same constituency eight times in a row. Others switch seats, I didn’t, and each time my votes only increased.

IANS: There’s an officer, Anuj Chaudhary, in UP Police. It’s said you helped him when you were in power.

Azam Khan: I did nothing for him. Akhilesh Yadav promoted him because he had won a medal; it was his fortune. One day, I saw police blocking common people even though Section 144 wasn’t imposed. I only said, “Don’t do this; such acts defame the government.”

IANS: Just because your vote share increases, should you claim the post of CM or PM?

Azam Khan: Just because our vote percentage rises, claiming such positions may be justified to some extent, but there’s something more important: peace of mind. Whether we become PM, CM, minister, or MLA doesn’t matter. What matters is living without fear, being able to leave home knowing our children will return safely.

IANS: You mentioned heavy fines and legal fees. Has your party helped you financially?

Azam Khan: When the IT raid took place at our house, people jumped over the walls and stormed in. Nobody understood what was happening, and they seized everything.

They found Rs 3,500 with me, Rs 10,000 with Abdullah, about Rs 500–600 with my elder son, and around 100 grams of gold with my wife.

Now, to manage expenses, I’ll have to sell my house, but the situation is such that even if I want to sell it, there’s no buyer.

IANS: If your government returns in 2027, will you take revenge?

Azam Khan: We’ll see when the time comes. But we don’t take revenge. If we do what they did, what difference will remain between us and them?

IANS: Will your government seek justice for the victims in Sambhal and Bareilly?

Azam Khan: We won’t take revenge, but yes, we will deliver justice.

IANS: Your MP from Rampur, Maulana Mohibullah Nadvi, faces serious allegations of marrying multiple women and deceiving them. Your comment?

Azam Khan: Some can’t handle even one; others have many waiting for them, it’s fate. One man once told me his 47th wife had just died. When asked how, he said, “Every time I marry, the wife dies in three days.” Another said, “I’m not that lucky, one is enough to trouble me.” Everyone has their own destiny and way of life, who are we to judge?

IANS: Have you retired from politics or planning another innings?

Azam Khan: If I had retired, would you still come to see me? You only come to check how much light is left in this lamp. The truth is, keeping it lit is no longer in my hands.

IANS: Will there be a book on your life?

Azam Khan: I am a book myself, not just one, but many books walk with me. This prison cell was once my destiny, but not this time.

IANS: During Yogi Adityanath’s tenure, you spent years in jail. Will you take action against him if your party comes to power?

Azam Khan: That would be revenge, and I believe in justice, not revenge. I don’t even know what my fault was, except that I stayed loyal to a cause. Out of 114 cases, not one accuses me of corruption or commission.

IANS: Have you been given your security back?

Azam Khan: When I was granted security, I didn’t need it. Now, I don’t even have Y-category, let alone Z-security. Those who oppose me unnecessarily have higher protection. My father was jailed in 1970 for standing against injustice, and today, his son has no security. This election wasn’t won; it was looted.

IANS: Do you feel your life is in danger?

Azam Khan: If the world were only a garden, then where would the deserts go? My enemies are naive; there is no point in being enemies with me. I don’t even remember the reason, because I have never harmed anyone.

I have always said, even at large public rallies, and I say it again today, if my words have ever caused anyone harm, tell me. I have never seen anyone through the lens of religion or caste.

I have successfully organised two Kumbh Melas. There was a Nawab of Rampur, Zulfiqar Ali. He used to keep goons around him and committed many atrocities. His end, too, was tragic.

He once had his men fire at me; they came with guns, and a German pistol even fell on my leg. Another time, while I was returning from Delhi, I was standing by the roadside waiting, when an accident happened. What happened was what Allah had destined. I am still alive today, but those who tried to kill me are not.

IANS: You seem quieter now. What changed after jail?

Azam Khan: Just a little weakness due to health. Otherwise, when the match begins again, I’ll bat.

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