Bhubaneswar: The political course has hit a new low, literally below the belt, with Samajwadi Party candidate Azam Khan saying things like “…the underwear beneath is of the khakhi colour” while campaigning against his BJP rival Jaya Prada in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur constituency.
An FIR has been filed against him in Rampur for “insulting” the modesty of a woman, reports NDTV, but Khan said on Monday that he will not contest the elections if anyone can prove that he named the actor-turned-politician in his remarks. “I haven’t named or insulted anyone and I know what I should say,” Azam Khan told news agency ANI on the crude remarks he made at an election rally on Sunday. “I was a nine-time MLA from Rampur and have been a minister. I know what to say,” the SP leader said.
Khan claimed he made the remarks in the context of a “man” who had apparently said that “he brought 150 rifles with him” and if he sees Azam Khan, he would shoot him. Without naming who he was referring to Khan said, “Now, it has been revealed that he has an RSS pant on his body. Shorts are worn by men.”
On Sunday, Khan had said: “…I want to ask you, should politics stoop so low? 10 years the person sucked the blood of Rampur, I held that person’s finger and brought the person to Rampur. I made her familiar with the streets of Rampur. I didn’t let anyone touch her. No dirty words were used. You made the person your representative for 10 years. But what is the difference between you and me. Rampur waalon, Hindustan waalon, uski asliyat samajhne main aapko 17 baras lag gaye (understanding the person’s real face you took 17 years). I realised in 17 days, that the underwear beneath is of the khakhi colour.”
Azam Khan’s remarks were widely interpreted as targeted at Jaya Prada.