Azam Khan involved in anti-party activities: Jaya Prada

Filmstar-turned-politician Jaya Prada, who retained the Rampur Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, today accused SP leader and her bete-noire Azam Khan of indulging in anti-party activities by supporting the Congress candidate there.     

Her comments came soon after Khan resigned as general secretary of the party.     

"He (Khan) was indulging in all kinds of anti-party activities. He was supporting the Congress candidate. But the party has always given lots of respect to him," she said.     

Jaya Prada, however, did not agree with the suggestion that she could have been one of the reasons behind Khan's resignation.     

Her candidature as an SP nominee in Rampur led to bitter feud between Khan and party general secretary Amar Singh with the latter threatening to quit the party if Khan was not reined in.     

Khan was accused of tacitly supporting Congress candidate Noor Bano and asking voters to elect her while allegedly vilifying the image of the 47-year-old cine star.     

Jaya Prada said that it was Singh who brought her to Uttar Pradesh politics and it was Khan who brought her to Rampur.     

"I have given respect to him and never uttered anything against him," Jaya Prada, who described Khan as her brother, said. Filmstar-turned-politician Jaya Prada, who retained the Rampur Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, today accused SP leader and her bete-noire Azam Khan of indulging in anti-party activities by supporting the Congress candidate there.     

Her comments came soon after Khan resigned as general secretary of the party.     

"He (Khan) was indulging in all kinds of anti-party activities. He was supporting the Congress candidate. But the party has always given lots of respect to him," she said.     

Jaya Prada, however, did not agree with the suggestion that she could have been one of the reasons behind Khan's resignation.     

Her candidature as an SP nominee in Rampur led to bitter feud between Khan and party general secretary Amar Singh with the latter threatening to quit the party if Khan was not reined in.     

Khan was accused of tacitly supporting Congress candidate Noor Bano and asking voters to elect her while allegedly vilifying the image of the 47-year-old cine star.     

Jaya Prada said that it was Singh who brought her to Uttar Pradesh politics and it was Khan who brought her to Rampur.     

"I have given respect to him and never uttered anything against him," Jaya Prada, who described Khan as her brother, said.

Asked about the reports quoted to her that she may commit suicide if she had lost in the polls, Jaya Prada said she made the statement in a "emotional moment" as there was a malicious campaign against her during the electioneering.     

"They were putting pictures and spreading all kind of rumours in my constituency. At that moment, I told my leader that if anything like this continues to happen, I have no right to live in this world."     

Asked whether she was sad following the resignation of Khan, Jaya Prada said she cannot do anything about it.     

"He (Khan) was openly telling people in the campaign that Jaya Prada should be defeated. My leaders have not taken any action. We have not said anything wrong against him. Finally he took the decision. So what can I do. We do not want this kind of a conflict," she said.