Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan met party President Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on Friday, marking his first visit to the state capital after he was released from jail. Their 45-minute meeting, which took place at Akhilesh Yadav’s residence on Vikramaditya Marg, is being seen as politically significant. Azam Khan’s son was also present during the meeting.
The two leaders held discussions over tea and snacks in what both sides described as a cordial interaction. Soon after, Akhilesh Yadav shared photographs of the meeting on social media, writing: "I don’t know how many memories he brought with him when he came to our home today.
This meeting is a heritage of our shared relationship."The meeting has fuelled political speculation, especially at a time when the SP is in campaign mode for the ongoing Bihar Assembly elections. Though Azam Khan has been named in the party’s list of star campaigners, he has not yet hit the campaign trail.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Azam Khan said his visit was meant to send a message of resilience. "The only purpose of my visit was to show that there are still people alive on this earth despite the injustices inflicted upon them," he said.
Reflecting on his ordeal, he added: "I came here with the story of what happened to me, my family, and my city. Many of our comrades are still in jail. Whenever we meet, we revisit those painful moments so that future generations remember that such injustice happened."
Azam Khan also suggested that his incarceration may have altered public perception. “Perhaps what happened to me has changed the image created by the media. Maybe now you are able to understand me,” he said.
Akhilesh Yadav had earlier visited Azam Khan at his residence in Rampur on October 8, soon after the latter’s release from jail. Several Samajwadi Party leaders had also met Azam Khan in Lucknow on Thursday when he arrived in the city.