LUCKNOW: Had Narendra Modi not ridiculed monk Shobhan Sarkar, the gold would not have vanished. This was the comment of urban development minister, Azam Khan , while taking a pot shot at BJP' prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi. Azam said that Modi should not ridicule 'religious persons'.

The Muslim face of Samajwadi Party said that it was because of this that Sarkar challenged Modi for a debate.

He said that it was he would caught the case of fake 118 Madarasas in UP. Previously, he said, he nabbed imposters. He said that FIRs would be lodged against the fake madarsas. "Religious work cannot be carried out through non-religious means," he said, while speaking to reporters.

Commenting on chairman of national commission of SC/ST PL Punia, Azam said that Punia may have been a "good officer" but he is not a "good politician". He said that Punia should consider about the leaders of his own Congress party, who do not even invite UP chief minister in inauguration of various projects in UP, even though it is the state government which has been providing land to the centre free of cost.