Azmi recruited in Cong, says will oppose uniform civil code

Congress today sought to downplay the triple talaq issue, saying the "matter is in Supreme Court", while former Rajya Sabha MP Obaidullah Khan Azmi, a new recruit in the party, asserted that he will oppose any "wrong move" on the issue by the government.

Azmi, who had vehemently opposed the Supreme Court judgment in Shah Bano case, said, "I am an office-bearer of All-India Muslim Personal Board. If the government tries to misuse it or make any wrong move on the issue then I will fight against it. I will oppose it in my individual capacity."

Azmi said this when asked about his stand on the triple talaq issue in the presence of senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.
 

However, Azad tried to play it down saying, "since the matter is in the Supreme Court, there will be no discussion on it."

He said the BJP-led government is trying to divert the attention of the people from their promises made during the Lok Sabha elections by raising such issues.

"(Priem Minister Narendra) Modi had said there will be no unemployment, price rise will be curbed, black money stashed abroad will be returned to the country. So what happened to those promises? The government has failed miserably in fulfilling any promise. That is why they (BJP) want to keep people engaged in other issues. So one should not fall into the trap," he said.

To a question on filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's tweet seeking the Prime Minister's response on the issue of banning Pakistan artists, Azad took a potshot at Modi's Pakistan trip, saying "I have never gone to Pakistan, neither do I have any relative in Pakistan. You should ask this question to those who go to attend weddings there."

The release of Karan Johar directed "Ae Dil Hai Muskil" is facing problem because of the involvement of Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in the film.

Kashyap, who himself has had run-ins with the censor board, yesterday tweeted "@narendramodi and you actually diverted your trip on our tax money,while the film shot then was on money on which someone here pays interest."

Asked about the ongoing infighting between Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the Congress veteran said, "This is a fight between father and son and let them decide it."

However, he added that "Akhilesh seems to be clean."

Welcoming Azmi into Congress fold, Azad said, "He has rich political experience. He is also a secular person and we welcome him into our party today.