Azam Khan denies sting allegations, says 'I live a clean and truthful life'

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan, who allegedly directed the police officers to take delayed action during the Muzaffarnagar riots according to a sting operation, on Wednesday denied the allegations, and asked the concerned news channel to investigate the claims that it made in its expose.

Khan also said that he was willing to face the harshest punishment if proven guilty.

"I have nothing to do with this. I live a clean and truthful life. Neither am I worried nor do I need to give anybody an explanation. In fact, the channel that has tried to ruin my entire life, I suggest to them that they themselves investigate the claims made by them," Khan said.

"We are on the side of justice and action. I cannot even think of letting a perpetrator roam free. This is not in my character. I would rather die than lead the life they are accusing me of," he said.

The Uttar Pradesh Minister challenged the news channel to establish that he had communicated to any police officer during the days of the riots.

"There are several districts involved and there will be telephone records present during those days. Now, if someone has called up as (pretending to be) me, I am not responsible for it. But, if I have done it, I am willing to face the harshest punishment," he added.

Criticizing the media, Khan expressed that sting operations are a dangerous tool for democracy if they are aired unverified and uninvestigated for the sake of higher TRPs.

"I want to tell the channel that this was the time to ease the situation, not aggravate it. If people like me will not be part of politics, it will be a blow to democracy," Khan said.

"For the sake of TRPs, it is dangerous and damaging for the country that uninvestigated claims are made and taken as truths. ...Since everything is being done by them (the media), I ask that the channel investigates into the claims they are making, and announce my punishment if found guilty. I give them full authority to do this immediately," he added.

Khan further said the present situation is a time to ensure that tranquility is reinstated in the riot-hit areas as quickly as possible.

"This is a time to reinstate tranquility. Everybody will have to live here together, they will have to figure out how that is to be done. There is a need to make the environment pleasant," he said.

Khan also said that the presentation of the material on the news channel's website was not 'professional', as it dubbed the voices of the undercover reporters.

On Tuesday, a news channel aired a sting operation on the Muzaffarnagar communal riots, which alleged that Azam Khan had instructed police officials to take delayed action in curbing the communal violence in the area.

Reports suggest that the two district police officers in the footage of the sting operations-Budhana inspector Rishipa and an Inspector of Fhuwana police station-were transferred on Tuesday evening after Headlines Today broke their 'Operation Riot For Votes'.

According to media reports, the police, however, claim that the transfers were 'routine'.

The Uttar Pradesh Government has constituted a one-member judicial commission to probe the Muzaffarnagar violence, which has claimed over 40 lives.

The commission, which would mainly look into administrative lapses, if any, in controlling the violence, would submit its report to the government within two months.

Violence broke out in the Kawal area of Muzaffarnagar on August 27, when members of a community returning from a panchayat meeting in Naglabadhod, three kilometres from Kawal, clashed with members of another community.