As Azam Khan walks free, Shivpal Yadav welcomes him, Akhilesh manages with a tweet

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan walked out of the Sitapur jail this morning, amid a rousing welcome by hordes of his supporters and also some party MLAs who stood outside the jail to greet him.

The SP leader, whose stature in party was uncontested, came out of jail after almost 27 months. He was imprisoned in February 2020 and was yesterday granted interim bail by the Supreme Court. The SP MLA from Rampur has slew of complaints lodged against him for impropriety & financial irregularities during SP regime.

It was a joyous event for Azam supporters but what caught the attention of many was presence of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSP) Shivpal Yadav, estranged uncle of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. Shivpal met Azam soon after his release and expressed happiness over his release.

स्वागत एवं शुभकामनाएं। pic.twitter.com/7kcGQiqzDi

— Shivpal Singh Yadav (@shivpalsinghyad) May 20, 2022

Azam was Number 2 in the party when Mulayam was party chief but his clout has gradually erosen with time. Shivpal, however, has maintained steady support while also acknowledging that party stalwart was deserted by own party leadership.

Shivpal and Akhilesh have not been on good terms ever since latter enforced his authority & became party chief, on account of his inheritance from SP supremo. The duo buried hatched for UP Assembly elections 2022 but are said to have again party ways owing to Akhilesh’s assertive & autocratic ways.

Akhilesh Yadav though posted a tweet to hail Azam’s release from prison but it’s merely seen as a political courtesy. He tweeted, ‘lies have moments, not centuries’.

सपा के वरिष्ठ नेता व विधायक मा. श्री आज़म ख़ान जी के जमानत पर रिहा होने पर उनका हार्दिक स्वागत है। जमानत के इस फ़ैसले से सर्वोच्च न्यायालय ने न्याय को नये मानक दिये हैं।पूरा ऐतबार है कि वो अन्य सभी झूठे मामलों-मुक़दमों में बाइज़्ज़त बरी होंगे।

झूठ के लम्हे होते हैं, सदियाँ नहीं!

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 20, 2022

Azam’s supporters say that Akhilesh Yadav should have done more than just a tweet. Azam Khan himself is understood to be unhappy with the party leadership for leaving in the lurch. Supporters close to him say that the SP leadership should have done more for one of founder members and shouldn’t have left him to ‘rot in jail’.