A divide has surfaced in the Samajwadi Party (SP) as jailed leader Azam Khan criticized the INDIA bloc for allegedly being complicit in the “destruction” of Rampur. Meanwhile, a faction within the party has demanded Khan’s resignation, accusing him of creating discord in the ranks.
In a letter released Tuesday, Khan accused the INDIA bloc, of which SP is a member, of ignoring the plight of Muslims in Rampur while actively addressing incidents like the Sambhal violence. He alleged that the alliance was sidelining Muslim leadership and undermining political representation in Rampur.
“Rampur has been destroyed, and its Muslim leadership is being systematically eliminated. The INDIA alliance must clarify its stance, as continued silence will lead Muslims to question whether their voting rights hold any value,” Khan wrote.
Khan’s letter, released on SP district president Ajay Sagar’s letterhead, further warned of a reconsideration of political alignments by the Muslim community if their issues remained unaddressed.
Conversely, SP leader Mashkoor Ahmed Munna called for Khan’s expulsion, accusing him of monopolizing power in Rampur and weakening the party’s organization in the region. Munna criticized Khan’s leadership, claiming it had driven the party to near irrelevance in Rampur, and announced plans to meet SP President Akhilesh Yadav to demand leadership changes.
“There is no organization left in Rampur. Fresh leadership is essential to revive the party,” Munna told reporters Thursday.
However, Ajay Sagar, SP’s district president for Rampur, dismissed claims of disunity, asserting that party members in the district supported Khan. “Personal opinions aside, I have not encountered such demands from the district unit,” Sagar said.
