SP, BJP in war of words over Azam Khan

A war of words has broken out between Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over remarks by minister Azam Khan.

Reacting sharply to Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chowdhary's comment that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should act against union minister Sanjiv Baliyan for calling Urban Development Khan a terrorist, the BJP Monday asked Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to first sack Khan.

"Before suggesting anything to the BJP, the Samajwadi Party must first take cognisance to the utterances of its senior minister Azam Khan, who has recently said Mulayam Singh Yadav's birthday was funded by the Taliban, LeT and Dawood Ibrahim," BJP state unit spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

Pathak said Khan had also called Modi a "murderer" and demanded Khan's ouster from the state cabinet.

Pathak said the BJP would not be cowed down by the statements and threats of the Uttar Pradesh ministers and will continue to expose their misdeeds.

Chowdhary earlier said power drunk BJP ministers had stooped to new lows by targeting Khan by calling him a terrorist.

"The BJP ministers and its office bearers are so power drunk that they have lost all control over their senses and language," said Chowdhary, also a minister.