Azam Khan can never be upset with me: Mulayam Singh

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Agra: Amidst controversy over absence of Samajwadi Party's Muslim face Mohd Azam Khan from its national executive meet, party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday sought to mollify him, saying Khan can never be upset with him. But, earlier in the day, party's National General Secretary Ramgopal Yadav had said that either Khan should have attended the meet or resigned.
"Azam Khan can never be upset with me," Mulayam, who was flanked by senior party leaders including UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, told reporters after the valedictory session of the two-day meet. The SP supremo said that the party knew that why Azam did not attend the meeting.
"Our's is a democratic party and not an autocratic one," he said.
Asked about some SP leaders speaking against Khan, Mulayam said that whatever statement need to be given had been made. When pointed that Khan, who hold a number of portfolios in Akhilesh Yadav government, was also not attending Cabinet meetings, Mulayam said the question should be put to the Chief Minister.
On this, Akhilesh replied, "This is the national executive meeting. What can I say now."
Ramgopal Yadav had earlier said here that the absence of Khan was not felt at the meeting on Wednesday.
"It is a national executive meeting and all prominent leaders are present here...He was not here, but its does not make any difference and his absence was not felt," he had told PTI, adding, "With such a behaviour a person lowers his own stature."
The SP National General Secretary had said the party was not concerned who comes or not. "Akhilesh is Chief Minister and Netaji (Mulayam) is the leader...there is no other bigger leader," he said.
 
Another senior party leader Naresh Agarwal had said no person should be given liberty. "No person is larger than the party," he said.
Asked whether disciplinary action should be taken against Khan, a UP Cabinet minister, Agarwal had said it was up to 'Netaji' to decide.
Khan had criticised his own government's handling of Muzaffarnagar riots and had been sulking off and on various issues ever since the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in 2011 SP has come under all-round attack over its handling of the communal riots that has claimed 40 lives.