Amit Shah calls Azamgarh ‘den of terrorists’; Congress seeks EC action

Azamgarh/Ballia: Narendra Modi's close aide Amit Shah has sparked a fresh controversy by calling Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh a "base of terrorists".

Campaigning for BJP's Azamgarh candidate, Ramakant Yadav who is taking on Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mr Shah said the number of terrorists from Azamgarh were more as the state government was advocating their release in many cases.

"Azamgarh is the base of terrorists as there is no fear of the government, which is advocating their release," the BJP in-charge for Uttar Pradesh said.

"The accused in Gujarat bomb blasts were from Azamgarh... Being the then Home minister there (Gujarat), I have got the accused arrested. Since then not a single terrorist act has taken place in Gujarat," he said.

Mr Shah's comments drew a sharp reaction from the ruling Samajwadi Party, which demanded that the Election Commission should immediately take cognizance and act against him.

"Such a remark is an insult to Azamgarh. BJP wants to win the elections by communalising the atmosphere. The EC should immediately take cognisance of Shah's remark and take action against him. Though EC had once taken action against him, he has not mended his ways," senior Samajwadi Party leader CP Rai alleged.

Attacking Mr Yadav, Mr Shah said the Samajwadi Party leader's concept of socialism was limited to "promoting nepotism" and added that he was preparing political ground for his second son Prateek Yadav in Azamgarh.

Calling Congress the "most corrupt" government, Mr Shah alleged that it usurped Rs. 12 lakh crore through scams during its 10-year-rule.

Attacking the chiefs of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, Mr Shah said Mr Yadav and Ms Mayawati were claiming that they would become the next prime minister, but they have no existence outside Uttar Pradesh.

At a meeting in Ballia, while replying to criticism by the Congress against the BJP prime ministerial candidate, he said Mr Modi has not been accused of a single scam or corruption during his 14-year-rule in Gujarat.

Former Samajwadi Party leader Kamal Faruqui too Shah’s comment saying he shouldn’t have associate terrorism with a place.

"It is highly condemnable to defame a place or community for terrorism. Amit Shah can't keep a control on his tongue.

He has already faced EC ire. Elections will be over in next 10-12 days but hatred is being developed in people's heart.

"We condemn statements by any party or person to associate terrorism with a place or community," he said.

Shobha Oza, President of All India Women Congress, said, Shah "has been spewing venom through his language. The Election Commission should take a cognisance of it. An immediate strict action should be taken against him.

"He is trying to polarise the whole elections. People like Amit Shah are incorrigible. His whole politics is based on communalism and he keeps spewing venom to divide this country," she said.

Another Congress leader Rashid Alvi said, "It is very wrong to say anything about any place. I don't know what sort of politician he is and (he is )trying to defame Azamgarh.

"Whether it is BJP, Shah or any other leader, it is very wrong to make an opinion about Azamgarh. It is a praise worthy city. It is unfortunate to consider people of Azamgarh as terrorists," he said. 

BSP supremo Mayawati too slammed Shah for his comments and demanded that the Election Commission ban his entry in Uttar Pradesh.

Mayawati said that if Shah's parameter was considered to be right, there was nothing wrong if Gujarat was called as the "centre of communalism".

Flaying Shah's statement, the BSP leader told reporters that, "Such a statement violating mode code of conduct could vitiate law and order in Azamgarh and eastern UP. Gujarat can also be termed as a base of communalism and crime. I demand EC again ban Shah in Uttar Pradesh".

The BSP leader also demanded that the EC initiates action against SP leader Abu Asim Azmi for this "DNA remark" at a meeting recently.

"As far as Shah's remarks are concerned I will like today that if some persons of Azamgarh district have done anything wrong whether Hindu or Muslim, it does not mean that the people of the entire society are terrorists," Mayawati said, while dubbing BJP candidate Ramakant Yadav as the "biggest terrorist" of Azamgarh district.

"I want to say that such type of statement can disturb law and order situation in Azamgarh and eastern UP. I demand EC that should take action against Shah and a complete ban should be imposed on his entry in UP," she said.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh too condemned the controversial remark on Twitter.