Amar Singh seeks to build bridges with Azam Khan

Seeking to build bridges with Azam Khan, ousted Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh extended support to the university founded by his bete noire.At a public meeting in Rampur, the former SP leader said he would support the Mohammed Ali Jauhar University founded by Azam Khan which is yet to start functioning.

"Azam Khan's dreams of spreading education should take shape as education has no religion. It is a pious source to enlighten the hearts and minds of the people and I shall work in that direction," he said. Amar, however, fired a salvo at his former mentor and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav accusing him of encouraging casteism in his party. "Besides allotting pivotal positions to his family members in the party, he appointed Yadavs as heads of district units."

"I am not against Yadavs but cannot approve of casteism which is against socialism," he said."There were two non-Yadavs in SP. One Jnaneshwar Mishra has left for his heavenly abode and the second one, myself, has been thrown out after being termed as garbage," Singh said.

However, he asked his supporters to avoid using derogatory words against the SP chief as "we have struggled together to strengthen Samajwadi Party".

On allegations that he had brought in film stars into former party, Singh countered by saying the SP chief and his family had brought Raj Babbar into the party.

"If they brought Raj Babbar into the SP, then they were being just, but if I got Jayaprada, Jaya Bachchan, Manoj Tiwari, Sanjay Dutt close to the SP then I am termed as not only wrong but garbage," he said.

On the issue of Kalyan Singh's association with the SP, Singh said, "When I was under treatment it was Mulayam Singh who was raising slogans like 'Kalyan Singh Zindabad' in Agra."

In her speech, Rampur MP Jayaprada praised Singh for his support. "It was Amar Singh who assisted me by all means when I was facing extreme adversity in Rampur due to opposition from adversaries," she said. Jaya Bachchan and Manoj Tiwari were also present during the meeting.