MEERUT: Hours Union minister VK Singh 's controversial statement on the Faridabad incident where a dalit family was burnt alive, senior Samajwadi Party leader and state cabinet minister Mohammed Azam Khan on Thursday lashed out at him and said he was "walking the path that Modi has shown him".

Speaking on the Faridabad incident, Singh on Thursday said, "Never associate local incidents with the Central government. There is an inquiry going on. There was a dispute between families. If somebody throws a stone at a dog, then the government is not responsible,"

Referring to Modi as 'Badshaah' (emperor), Khan said, "Where does one learn such things? He learns such a culture from his seniors and elders. Badshah had compared the Muslims of Godhra to a puppy and now his minister has compared to dalits to dogs. The minister is only taking Badshaah's chain of thought further. It is clear where the culture is emanating from. This is nothing new. Be it the 'Ramzyaade' comment or Yogi Adityanath saying Hindus are ready fight with tann (body), mann (mind), dhan (wealth) and gun. There is a culture of hate and the leader is breeding it."

Claiming that minorities were living in a state of fear, he said, "We don't know what to do. Muslims and dalits are in a state of perpetual fear. There is an intolerant atmosphere of hate and has been very strategically created by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( RSS ). Dalits will be accorded a very bad place in their version of Hindu Rashtra."

He added saying, "Western UP has become the newest laboratory for them (RSS). Fortunately, they did not get the kind of success they had hoped for after the Dadri lynching case. The media immediately jumped in and cornered them. It is because of the media that they were forced to relook their strategy."

Khan said the 2017 assembly polls will hinge on caste-equations instead of religious polarization. "The polls are less than two years away and western UP will definitely play an important role. The caste-equation will make a big difference. It will matter which caste goes with which party."