My own people contributed to my destruction: Azam Khan

His own people contributed to his destruction, said senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, who was released from the Sitapur jail on Friday after the Supreme Court granting him an interim bail.

Khan has been in jail for around 27 months after he was booked in a number of cases.

"The BJP, BSP or the Congress are not a big question for me at this time," Khan told reporters, adding his "own people contributed to his destruction". "I pray to god that they get a good sense," he said.

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On being asked that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was criticised by his supporters for not helping him, Khan said, "I have my own hand in my destruction."

Khan said he did not meet the delegation sent by Akhilesh Yadav in jail as his health was not well.

However, Khan had met Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) leader Shivpal Singh Yadav and Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam in jail.

Emotional Khan told reporters, "I did not die when I contracted coronavirus. I was the only one left in the ward of the hospital. All bodies went in front of me. My loved ones tried hard only then I came out alive."

Khan, a 10-time MLA, said all his life he tried to prove that his integrity is beyond doubt. "I am not the one who sells his conscience. Neither will I sell my country nor my community," he said.

On a question about his time in jail, Khan said he used to eat "chapatis" with "watery dal".

"I lived for 27-28 months in a cell in which life-term convicts used to be kept. I was all alone," he said.

Khan also junked corruption charges against him, saying, "I have not done politics for 40 years to get gold and silver bracelets. I don't even have a bungalow."

"When the ED (Enforcement Directorate) men came for five days in jail to interrogate me and asked me where is your property abroad, where are your bank accounts, I just told them that I am not angry with your questions but I am ashamed of where I was born," he said.

He claimed that a police officer told him in jail, "If you come to Rampur, try to stay underground. There are so many cases against you and you can be killed in an encounter."

Khan said Muslims are being punished for their right to vote. "All political parties understand that Muslims can spoil the equation of political outfits," he said.

Earlier, Khan was welcomed in Rampur by a large number of his supporters, along with his MLA son Abdullah Azam and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) leader Shivpal Singh Yadav.

Khan expressed his respect for Congress leader and Supreme Court advocate Kapil Sibal, saying thank you is a "very small word" for him. He also thanked the Supreme Court, which he said exercised its power "honestly".

Responding to a question, Khan said he could not understand till today why the ruling BJP hates him so much. "I will try to find out," he said.

"Who are the people who lodged cases against me? Initially, eight cases were lodged alleging that I snatched their land. The payment of eight people who sued me in the civil court was done by cheque," he said. They paid Rs 40,000 a bigha for the land, which was not even worth Rs 2,000 per bigha, Khan said.

The SP leader said the people from whom he bought land performed "hajj" with the money taken from him.

"If they had two bighas of land, then they bought eight bighas of land from that money. They lost the case against me," Khan said.