Azam Khan beats Bukhari with Mulayam's birthday bash
There were many occasions in the past when Bukhari had dubbed Azam anti-Muslim and an enemy of the SP.
A section of political leaders in Uttar Pradesh believe that Urban Development and Minority Affairs Minister Azam Khan organised Samajwadi Party (SP) president Mulayam Singh Yadav's two-day birthday extravaganza in Rampur to put down Saturday's dastarbandi (turbantying programme), arranged by Jama Masjid Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari to anoint his son Shaban as Naib Imam - his deputy.
They also claimed that Mulayam was the only politician who was to attend the Delhi function.
"Bukhari had also invited Maulana Atiqullah Khan, a known Rampur cleric to read out the Quran to insult Azam, his foe. Rampur clerics Azhar Inayati and Afzal Manglori were also invited. All three are known critics of Azam," said a senior SP leader, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
There were many occasions in the past when Bukhari had dubbed Azam "anti-Muslim" and "an enemy of the SP".
Moreover, the absence of Mulayam's cousin and Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav from the royal bash on Friday and Saturday is another reason to believe this theory.
The SP leader claimed that Ram Gopal was against the party chief attending the lavish Rampur function as it could give a bad name to the party. However, his reasoning failed to cut ice with the party leadership.
Besides, Ram Gopal's disagreement with Azam on several By Piyush Srivastava in Lucknow issues is a known secret.
Though a 75-foot-long cake was the icing on the extravagant Rampur celebrations and over 2,000 SP leaders and state government officers were present when Mulayam cut it as the clock struck 12 on Friday, Ram Gopal preferred to stay put in Etawah and relish the occasion with a small cake.
When asked why he didn't attend the birthday function in Rampur, he clarified: "There may be many SP workers who didn't attend the programme. They would be celebrating his birthday in their respective areas. I preferred to hold functions in Etawah, my home town."
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Dwijendra Tripathi said: "Azam played an interesting game to prove his importance. He seems to have succeeded."
He added: "Azam, through the entire episode, also tried to weigh himself in the party and the government. He wanted to see whom Mulayam gives more importance."
Mulayam's younger daughterin-law Aparna Yadav who was recently in the eye of a storm for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and criticising the UP government, was also conspicuous by her absence, as she had left for the Gulf on a vacation.