Amit Shah and Azam Khan must be banned from campaigning in Uttar Pradesh during polls: Union Commerce Minister

Union Minister Anand Sharma on Saturday, stated whether it was in the case of Azam Khan or Amit Shah both should be banned from campaigning in Uttar Pradesh during elections.

"Both the statements by Amit Shah and Azam Khan were provocative and polarizing. And what decision has been made is a correct decision, not only that those who make such hate campaign, which clearly is aimed at creating communal divison which lead to tension and conflict should not be allowed to remain in Uttar Pradesh until the voting is over and that should be a correct decision," Sharma said.

Election Commission ( EC) of India has banned Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan and general secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Amit Shah from addressing any public rallies after they made "highly inflammatory speeches" during election campaigns.

The Commission had already issued notice to Amit Shah, also a close aide of BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, for his 'revenge' remark for riot-hit district of Muzaffarnagar and had asked it to explain his speech by April 09.

Earlier, police had filed a case against Shah for allegedly saying that the parliament polls were elections for honour and to take revenge for the insult heaped on them. The BJP leader also added that it was an election to teach a lesson to those who did injustice.

Azam Khan too stirred a controversy earlier this week when he said that Muslim soldiers solely won Kargil war and not Hindu soldiers.

His remark was seen as an attempt to polarise the voters a day before Uttar Pradesh was getting ready for elections.