'Armed forces infiltrated by people of other countries'

Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister Mohd Azam Khan has alleged that people from many other countries have infiltrated the ranks of the Indian armed forces.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday on the sidelines of a programme in his assembly constituency of Rampur, Khan said the brazen attack on an IAF airbase in Pathankot was an example of what he alleged.

"They say the attackers had come in army uniforms and a jeep, it is not even confirmed as yet whether such people from other countries have been weeded out from the Indian Armed Forces" he said.

He also trained guns at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that while he enjoyed extremely cordial relations with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, this did not alter the hostilities at the border between the two countries.

In the past too, Khan had embarrassed the government and the party by his statements.

During campaign for the Lok Sabha polls in 2014, he had alleged that the Kargil war was won because of the bravery of Muslim army men.

"People have been watching the minister with disdain as he speaks out of turn and almost anything. He has no sense of propriety and we can only expect Akhilesh Yadav to reign him in," said Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak.