By IANS,
Lucknow : The Samajwadi Party Sunday expelled Azam Khan, one of the party founders and its Muslim face, from its primary membership for “indiscipline and anti-party activities”, party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said.
The move comes more than a week after Khan himself resigned as general secretary and parliamentary board member.
“Yes, we have expelled Azam Khan from the primary membership for six years for indiscipline and anti-party activities,” Mulayam Singh told IANS.
The SP will hold a formal party level meeting on the issue Monday, he said.
Azam Khan is one of the founders of the party. He was made general secretary when the party was formed in October 1992 and is one of its oldest leaders.
Azam Khan was unhappy ever since Mulayam Singh decided to befriend Kalyan Singh, rebel Bharatiya Janata Party leader who was chief minister when the Babri Masjid was razed in 1992. His discontent grew when actress-turned politician Jaya Prada was given the party ticket for Rampur, and he actively campaigned against her. He exchanged verbal attacks with Amar Singh, another party general secretary, over the issue.
Mulayam Singh, when asked by reporters earlier why he had not tried to mollify Khan, had said: “I have made dozens of attempts to call him, but he does not speak to me.”