BJP should get a mosque constructed in Ayodhya: Azam Khan

LUCKNOW: Days after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Rajnath Singh offered to apologize to Muslims over any mistake, UP cabinet minister Azam Khan asked the party to build a mosque at Ayodhya to show its true repentance.

"If they are really repentant, then BJP president Rajnath Singh should get mosque constructed at Ayodhya and we will look after Kumbh works," Khan said. On February 25, without mentioning the 2002 Gujarat riots, Singh had made an offer of apology to the Muslims, in a bid to reach out to the community ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

"Please note that whenever, wherever, if there has been any mistake and shortcoming on our part, I assure you that we will apologize to you by bowing our heads," Singh had said.

Azam also accused BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi of triggering riots in Muzaffarnagar and other areas to defame the UP government.

Regretting the opposition to Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's proposed visit to Aligarh Muslim University, he said those opposing the visit should mention what they had done for riot-affected people in Muzaffarnagar and claimed that Mulayam was the most secular leader in the country.