Sources say Azam Khan has told supporters that he blames the UP government for failing to prevent the Muzaffarnagar riots. (File pic)
Mulayam Singh Yadav, the chief of the Samajwadi Party, today denied that the communal riots in Muzaffarnagar have created a chasm between him and Azam Khan, a senior party leader.
Mr Khan has skipped a crucial meeting in Agra being chaired by Mr Yadav. His absence is being read as a pointed protest against the violence that erupted over the weekend in western Uttar Pradesh, killing nearly 40 people.
Sources say that Mr Khan has told supporters that he blames the government for failing to prevent the riots despite myriad warning signs. Mulayam Singh Yadav has refuted those charges, also levelled aggressively by other parties including the Congress.
"Azam Khan can never be unhappy with me. Perhaps he had other engagements, so he couldn't be here," said Mulayam Singh Yadav in Agra today.
His comments came after a volley of aggressive remarks from other Samajwadi leaders like his brother, Ram Gopal, who said that Mr Khan should quit the party if he can't meet important commitments.
Uttar Pradesh's 80 parliamentary seats make the state a huge constituent in deciding who forms the government. The Samajwadi Party draws heavily on Muslim voters, but the riots have led to leaders of different minority groups expressing their anger with the party.
Another important Muslim leader, Abu Azmi, warned at the Samajwadi gathering in Agra yesterday that voters may punish the party for the Muzaffarnagar riots in the national election.
"Don't just focus on free laptops for students," he said, "make sure minorities feel safe.' He was referring to one of the populist schemes that powered the party's victory in the state election 18 months ago.