On Saturday, news portal News Track Live reported that Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan has said that he will take Jal Samadhi if he is not invited to the Bhoomi Pujan of the Ram Mandir scheduled on 5th August. The article contained an image of the SP leader, and said that the MP from Rampur Lok Sabha seat Azam Khan has said that he is a devotee of Lord Ram. The same report was published by the portal’s Hindi edition too. But the comment was made by another person with the same name, but the portal wrongly attributed to the SP MP.
This news came as a big shock and surprise for people, as the controversial politicians is not known to be a Ram devotee. Several social media users believed the News Track Live report, and made comment against Azam Khan.
Even BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also fell prey to the wrong report, and mocked the SP leader for his sudden turnaround.
But the fact is, the Azam Khan who wants to attend the Bhoomi Pujan for the Ram Mandir is not the SP leader, but a different person. He is the president of the Sri Ram Mandir Nirman Muslim Kar Sevak Manch, a group of Muslims who have been supporting the cause of construction of a grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. This Azam Khan has been a proponent of the Ram Mandir, and had run campaigns supporting the construction of a Ram temple the previously disputed site at Ayodhya. Azam Khan had formed the group after Supreme Court suggested both the parties in the Ayodhya Case to build consensus in the issue in 2017, before its historic verdict awarding the disputed land to Hindus.
Azam Khan made the comment while visiting Ayodhya. He did a darshan of the Ram Lala, and also offered prayers at the samadhi of Late Mahant Ramchandra Das Paramhans, who had led the Ram Mandir movement. Other media houses who had reported the comment, including OpIndia, had correctly identified as the Muslim Kar Sevak Manch President, and not the more well-known SP leader.
On the other hand, controversial SP leader Azam Khan is in Sitapur jail for last 4 months, he was arrested after several cases of land grabbing and forgery were filed against him. On Friday, he and his son were produced before a court in Muradabad, after which they were against shifted to Sitapur Jail. Therefore, even if invited, the Rampur MP will not be able to attend the Bhoomi Pujan on 5th August.
