People treated me as anti-national, traitor : Azam Khan at Rampur rally

Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan addressing a public rally here on Saturday alleged that he was being treated as an "anti-national" and that his supporters and party workers are being targetted by the administration.

Khan also hit out at the Modi government at a joint rally in which Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samajwadi Party supremo Mayawati shared a dais with Khan.

"PM Modi handed you a broom in the name of Swatch Bharat Abhiyan, while my party gave you a pen," said Khan who is the SP's candidate from Rampur.

"For the last five years, 125 crores Indian have shed tears of blood. You have been deceived by the Modi-led government. I want you to take revenge for these tears," Khan said.

The SP leader was banned from campaigning for 72 hours by the Election Commission on Monday for his remarks against BJP candidate Jaya Prada.

"During the period of the ban, people called me a fraud and treated me as if I am an anti-national or a traitor."

The SP leader also hit out against the media stating that during the two days electronic media had called him all kinds of names and did not even spare his dead parents.

"The administration has unleashed a reign of terror in Rampur and those who support me, their families have been misbehaved with, women and small children have been misbehaved with," Khan said in an emotion-filled voice.

On April 15, Khan, while addressing an election rally, had allegedly made derogatory remarks against actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada, his BJP opponent in Rampur.

"I brought her (Jaya Prada) to Rampur. You are a witness that I did not allow anyone to touch her body. It took you 17 years to identify her real face but I got to know in 17 days that she wears khaki underwear," Khan had said.

In her speech at the Rampur rally before Azam Khan took the mike, Mayawati endorsed the SP leader and said that it is impossible to defeat Khan in the present elections.

SP president Akhilesh in his address also said that the BJP will suffer a big defeat as its governments had exploited the poor, farmers and the minorities.

People were made to stand in long queues during 'notebandi' (demonetisation) and now people will remove them from power through 'votebandi', he said.

Polling for Rampur Lok Sabha seat will be held in the third phase of polls on April 23. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.