Tensions between Amar Singh, Azam Khan flare up again

Amar Singh filed an FIR against Azam Khan alleging threat to his family

Tensions between Amar Singh, Azam Khan flare up again Amar Singh; Azam Khan | PTI

Tensions between Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh and former Samajwadi Party minister Azam Khan flared up again after the former filed an FIR against the latter in Gomtinagar police station in Lucknow. Singh has levelled serious allegations against Khan that includes threat to kill his family, spreading communal hatred and insulting religion.

Speaking to the media, Singh alleged that Khan, during an interview to a private TV channel, had threatened to kill the female members of his family and throw acid on them. He further said that Khan also tarnished his public image.

According to the inspector-in-charge Triloki Singh, Amar Singh has charged Azam Khan with criminal conspiracy against him and his family and said that Khan is a threat to his family.

As proof, Singh has handed over a CD to the cops that contains the recording of the 55-day-old interview.

Azam Khan and Amar Singh's enmity is quite old and its genesis lies in the fight for supremacy over Rampur. Rampur, a western UP district, is home turf of Khan. Singh’s interference happened when Jayaprada was fielded by the SP to contest polls from Rampur.

Khan took this move as one aimed at curtailing his “political freedom” in his home turf and had allegedly opposed Jayaprada during her campaign. Jayaprada, after her differences with TDP chief, Chandrababu Naidu, left the TDP to join the Samajwadi Party. SP fielded her from Rampur parliamentary constituency in 2004 and she won.

The close proximity between Jayaprada and Singh caused friction with Khan as he felt highly offended by the move to field her from Rampur.

It is alleged that Khan had distributed obscene posters of Jayaprada in the previous polls, thus making the electoral battle difficult for her. However, she won again. Subsequently, the SP had expelled her from the party in 2010 for anti-party activities. But the chasm between Singh and Khan widened.

Jayaprada and Amar Singh openly supported each other, and Azam Khan continued to oppose the duo.