I would've led the mob to demolish Taj: Azam Khan
Embarrassment to UP
In a major embarrassment to the Uttar Pradesh government, one of its senior ministers Azam Khan has said he would have gladly led the mob to demolish the Taj, as well as calling the world’s most celebrated monument for love a “gross misuse of public money”.
Just as his chief minister was heaving praise on the marbal mausoleum at an industry-government partnership summit in Agra, attended by industrialists from across the globe, Azam Khan said he would have preferred the mob that razed down the Babri Masjit to have brought down the Taj as well.
“Had the rioters demolished the Taj, I would have led the mob,” the senior minister said while speaking at a function at UP's Muzaffarnagar town on Sunday.
Khan, who was in the town to distribute government aid to unemployed boys and girls, also drew parallel between Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and BSP supremo Mayawati, saying that the latter had built statues for herself with public funds just as the emperor did in the 17th century.
‘Waste of public money’
A few days ago, Khan had termed the monument of love as “a symbol for gross misuse of public money.”
“Shah Jahan may have gained fame all over the world by building the Taj Mahal in his wife Mumtaz Mahal’s memory, but he committed the biggest crime (graft) legally'', Khan had said. He also had justified his confinement by his son Aurangzeb in his later years at Agra Fort.
Known for his ‘short temper’ and for infamous outbursts, Khan was recently in the news when he called for third party probe into the killing of two Indian soldiers at the LoC and wanted the five men accused of gang-raping a student in Delhi to be stoned to death.
When approached for comments, his colleagues at the SP declined to share their views.
“Khan is a senior leader... this could be his personal opinion,” an SP leader said.
