Ready to go to jail in support of Azam Khan: Akhilesh Yadav

"BJP leaders, you construct the jails and we are ready to go there," said Yadav, who is on a three-day visit to Bareilly and Rampur.

The SP chief reached here on Friday night and met the party leaders at Humsafar guest house of Khan, on Saturday morning.

"We, the SP leaders, know very well that if we go to jail, then the next government in UP will be ours, like the past history says," he said, while interacting with party leaders.

The SP leaders from nearby districts have reached Rampur to meet the party president and show their support in favour of Khan.

SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav too had called for an agitation by the party workers over harassment of Khan by Rampur district authorities.

Yadav said after Independence, the government had registered more than 100 cases in one night against party's founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and now, the government was doing the same against Khan.

"It is unfortunate that the authorities are lodging FIRs over cattle and goat theft against Azam and his family members. It is now clear that these FIRs are being registered just to harass the leader, who has served the society in a big way. But we too have faith on justice and it will prevail," he added.

Attacking the Yogi Adityanath government over the law and order and rising crime, he said everyone termed our regime as government of the goondas.

"But now, what we call about this government, whose CM and deputy CM have several FIRs against him and BJP legislators are involved in gangrape and other serious crimes.

'It has now been proved that the government was protecting the BJP MLA of Unnao in the rape case, while police was acting biased on a rape case against a senior BJP leader in Shahjahanpur," he further added.

Announcing that he would not hesitate to take any step to defend Khan and his family, the SP president made it clear that, "I have family relationship with Azam Khan and not just political. When Mulayam Singh Yadav was in problem, Khan came in our support and now, we will support him."

After the meeting, Yadav will go to the residence of Khan to meet his family and could even visit his Mohammad Ali Jauhar University.

Later in the evening, he will leave for Bareilly, where he will have a night stay and return to Lucknow on Sunday.