Sangeet Som claims Azam Khan behind 'Dalit exodus' in Rampur

MEERUT: With the BJP under fire for partyman Dayashankar Singh's comments against BSP chief Mayawati and instances of violence against Dalits in Gujarat, riot-accused BJP MLA Sangeet Som has now claimed that the Valmiki community in Rampur has "fled" parts of Rampur after pressure from SP leader Azam Khan. At a time when BJP's Dalit outreach suffered setbacks, Som said Khan, who is the MLA from the Rampur seat, gave away land to Johar Ali University at throwaway prices and forcefully evicted Valmikis who were settled there.He also claimed that the university was being turned into a "den of terror".
Addressing a public meeting in Shamli, he said, “A university was set up in Rampur and land was given at throwaway prices. Thousands of acres were leased at rate of Re 1 per annum. Have you ever heard of land being give so cheap? The poor people who lived there sat on protests and even threatened to convert if their land was not saved. However, all of them were evicted. Dalits were made to flee their own homes.”
In a video, Som can be heard saying, “All this was done in the name of a university. I can tell you that there will be no education in this university. It will become a den of terror. This is what will happen when people like Azam Khan, who should be speaking from the microphone in a mosque, are running the government.”
Speaking to TOI later, he said, “A Kairana-like situation is emerging in Rampur. The Valmiki community is fleeing from their land. They were pushed out to make way for the university. This is an exodus since they were forced out of their own homes. It is very clear that all of this is happening on the directions of Azam Khan.”
Fasahat Ali Khan, media adviser to Azam Khan, rubbished the allegations and said, “Sangeet Som is a motormouth. He shoots off these allegations without any concrete basis. I request everybody to ignore this man and not pay any attention to his tantrums. He is a dishonest man who polarizes votes for the BJP but he has a meat-exporting business on the side."