Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav postpones trip to Rampur in Uttar Pradesh

Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Akhilesh Yadav this morning postponed his visit to Rampur in view of prohibitory orders imposed in the city due to Muharram and Ganesh Chaturthi. He will be visiting Rampur on September 13-14.

Addressing a press conference at the party office in Lucknow, the SP chief, who was scheduled to meet party leader Azam Khan's family today, claimed that the administration has said his visit could result in riots in Rampur.

"I have to visit Rampur after meeting party workers in Sitapur, Shahjahanpur and Bareilly. I have postponed the visit by two days. It has been rescheduled to September 13-14. No one can stop us from meeting people in a democracy," Mr Yadav told reporters.

He said the administration has told the party that prohibitory orders were imposed in Rampur in view of Muharram and Ganesh Chaturthi due to community sensitivity.

However, Mr Yadav alleged that the Rampur district magistrate was "working at the behest of government as his tenure is going to end and he wanted an extension".

"Fake cases were lodged against Azam Khan under pressure of the local administration," he said, defending the party leader.

"I and the entire Samajwadi Party is with him and will fight at all levels and also explore ways for the legal fight," the SP chief said.

He said, "Politically motivated" cases are being lodged against Azam Khan to finish off the university founded by him. They don't want the university to run and students to have a bright future. Political forces do not want change in the lives of people."

"In the political history, such a large number of cases have never been lodged against anyone. FIRs are being registered in matters that are 10-12 years old under pressure," Mr Yadav alleged.

Announcing the postponing of his visit, he said, "We have given detailed information regarding my visit to the administration. Now I will go there on September 13, and hope that the administration will have no problem."