Would have launched attack on Pakistan in 40 seconds after Pulwama attack: Mohammad Azam Khan

Slamming the BJP for fielding his arch-rival and former cine star Jayaprada as party candidate from Rampur, Mr Khan said ''BJP is struggling to find candidates."
Mohammad Azam Khan. (Photo: Twitter)
Mohammad Azam Khan. (Photo: Twitter)

LUCKNOW: Senior Samajwadi Party leader Mohammad Azam Khan on Wednesday said had he been the Prime Minister of the country, he would not have waited even for 40 seconds to launch a retaliatory attack on Pakistan after the Pulwama terror strike in Kashmir, where 44 Jawans of CRPF were killed.

In obvious criticism of the Prime Minister, the SP leader said here on Wednesday, ''450 terrorists were killed in a retaliatory strike by the Indian air force at Balakot deep inside the Pakistan territory. I want to know from the Pakistan government as to why their Namaze Janazaa was not performed so as to ensure the salvation of the departed souls.

''What kind of Islamic state is Pakistan why it is maintaining silence over the Namaze Janazaa of the 450 terrorists killed in IAF strike at Balakot?,'' he asked.

Slamming the BJP for fielding his arch-rival and former cine star Jayaprada as party candidate from Rampur, Mr Khan said ''BJP is struggling to find candidates so they have imported the candidate for the Rampur Lok Sabha seat."

Mr Khan is native of Rampur and SP candidate from Rampur Lok Sabha seat.

Jaya Prada was elected to the Lok Sabha as SP candidate in 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha election.

In 2009, Jayaprada won the election, despite the vehement opposition by Mr Khan.

He was also expelled from the party in May 2009 for opposing the official party candidate.

Jaya Prada, who joined the BJP on Tuesday, will take on her bitter rival and SP candidate Azam Khan in Rampur Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

Azam Khan is the same senior SP leader who had once called her a "naachne waali".

The bitter rivalry between Azam Khan and Jaya Prada began in 2009 with the former opposing her candidature in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

Azam Khan is the leader who brought Jaya Prada, then a superstar, to Rampur and helped her win Rampur Lok Sabha seat from a Samajwadi Party ticket.

The relationship between the two turned sour, with Azam becoming a vocal critic of the actor-turned-politician when she came out in support of former General Secretary of the Samajwadi Party, Amar Singh.

By 2009, the relationship became so bitter that Azam Khan Supporters openly campaigned against Jaya Prada.

Since then, the two have openly criticised each other.

At one point, Jaya Prada compared Azam Khan to Alauddin Khilji from the movie Padmaavat.

The latter called her a "naachne waali" in return.

"When I was watching Padmaavat, Khilji's character reminded me of Azam Khan how he had harassed me during elections when I was contesting," Jaya Prada had said.

During the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Jaya Prada had accused Azam Khan of circulating her morphed pictures in Rampur.

The images reportedly showed Jaya Prada's face on a nude body and were circulated on social media.

The CDs were also distributed across Rampur.

Jaya Prada also said that she wanted to commit suicide at that time.

Azam Khan, however, denied the charges.

In February 2019, Jaya Prada alleged that Azam Khan had attempted an acid attack on her.

She claimed that she received multiple threats from the SP leader.

After years of abuses and accusations, the two have been put up against each other in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

As far as electoral battles go, this would not be an easy one for Azam Khan.

Jaya Prada has been a two-time MP from Rampur and this is Azam Khan's debut in Lok Sabha polls.

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