look news india
The troubles of senior Samajwadi Party leader and former cabinet minister Azam Khan are not showing any sign of abating. His pain was expressed when he went to appear before the Lucknow regional office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the investigation into money laundering and financial matters related to Jauhar University. Surrounded by media cameras, Azam Khan said in a tearful and emotional tone that he built a ‘Shiksha Mandir’ (Maulana Mohammad Ali Johar University) in Rampur for the better future of children, but perhaps being a Muslim, building such a big educational institution became his biggest mistake. After his sharp and emotional statement, there has once again been a storm of statements in the politics of Uttar Pradesh.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) team has been deeply investigating the financial documents related to the money used in the construction of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, foreign funding, bank accounts of the trust and land acquisition for a long time. During this important interrogation held in the ED office in Lucknow, Azam Khan was asked many questions regarding the donations deposited in the University Trust and the transfer of properties. ED officials say that they are investigating whether there has been any illegal money or misuse of government funds in the construction and development works of the university. On the other hand, Azam Khan described all these allegations as motivated by political malice and said that he spent his entire life in improving the level of service and education of the people of Rampur, but today he is being put in the dock.
While talking to media persons outside the ED office, SP leader Azam Khan looked very uncomfortable and disappointed. He said that big industrialists and leaders have built universities and colleges in the country, but when a world class university was built in Rampur, it was made the center of controversies. Azam Khan sarcastically said that if he had established a mafia empire or got any illegal construction done, perhaps so many cases would not have been registered against him today. He alleged that the main objective of the continued punitive actions against them is to break their morale and ignore the contribution of a particular community.
After this statement of Azam Khan came to light, the top leadership of Samajwadi Party has openly supported him. SP spokespersons say that the present government of the state is misusing central agencies to intimidate and weaken prominent opposition leaders. The party argues that Johar University has provided education to thousands of poor children of the area, who are being made victims of political rivalry. On the other hand, leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have strongly denied Azam Khan’s allegations. BJP says that the law is equal for everyone and if there is illegal occupation or financial misappropriation of lands of poor and farmers during the construction of the university, then the investigating agencies will do their work impartially. It is completely wrong to play the card of religion or politics in this battle of law.