'I Will Come Out Clean': Azam Khan On Court Cases; Denies Joining BSP

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan on Wednesday said he was confident of getting justice and coming out clean in the many court cases against him, while firmly rejecting speculation about his joining the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Khan, a 10-time MLA from Rampur, faces several criminal cases, including allegations of land grabbing and corruption, which he has repeatedly called politically motivated. His latest release followed the Allahabad High Court granting him bail last week in the Quality Bar land encroachment case, in which his name was added during reinvestigation nearly five years after the FIR was lodged.

Interacting with reporters a day after his release from Sitapur jail, where he had been lodged for nearly two years, the 77-year-old Khan said, "I have faith that I will come out clean. I am confident that I will get justice from the high court and, if not, from the Supreme Court. Perhaps that stage will not come." 

Dismissing speculation about switching parties, the SP founding member remarked, "We have something called character. Character does not mean whether we hold a post or not; it means people love and respect us. And we are not for sale, we have proved that." Asked about SP president Akhilesh Yadav describing his release as a victory of justice, Khan said, "He (Akhilesh) is the leader of a big party. If he has said something like this for a small man like me, it shows his greatness." 

Asked about Akhilesh saying false cases against him would be withdrawn once SP comes to power, Khan said, "That may not be required (since he is confident of winning cases in courts)." When told that he himself was considered a senior leader of the party, Khan said, "I am not a big man; I am a servant, a worker of the party." Asked if he was upset that no senior SP leader or local MP came to receive him upon release, Khan replied, "There is no resentment. May they remain well." Asked about reported differences between Rampur and Saifai camps, Khan, in a lighter vein, urged journalists not to "ignite a fire" on the matter.

Indicating that he has not spoken to Akhilesh since coming out of jail, Khan said, "Believe me, I remembered only my wife's number all these years, and now even that number I have forgotten. I have not used a phone in five years; I have forgotten how to operate one." Responding to a question about SP leader S T Hasan saying he would meet if called, Khan remarked, "He is our leader, our elder." 

On speculation that Shivpal Singh Yadav might visit him, Khan said with a tinge of emotion, "I have spent five years alone in a small cell. The feeling of waiting for someone has died." 

Asked about Akhilesh's statement that the SP would withdraw cases if it came to power, Khan quipped, "If those words had any weight, you wouldn't be seeing me outside like this. From the lower court to the Supreme Court, I have hope I will get justice. And you will see, I will come out absolutely clean." 

Asked if he expects the SP to form the next government in 2027, Khan said, "I don't make predictions. I have no wishes for myself; I wish them well, they are Netaji's (Mulayam Singh Yadav) children." On whether he would remain with the SP, he said unequivocally, "What is the question of not remaining?" He also dismissed speculation of any contact with the BSP, telling reporters, "You don't even understand that much!"

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)