Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan, who was stopped at IGI Airport after he was found carrying live rounds of bullets in his hand baggage, today termed the media reports on the incident as "conspiracy" hatched to defame him.
"The reports to this effect are a conspiracy hatched to defame me. It is my political and personal defamation," the Urban Development Minister told reporters here.
Blaming the media for "raking up the issue without any basis", Khan claimed, "I did not carry any briefcase and just had my spectacle cover and a mobile phone with me at the Delhi airport."
He alleged that yesterday's report is nothing but a "canard, as is the so-called sting operation" carried out against him during last year's Muzaffarnagar riots.
Khan was yesterday stopped by security officials at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi after he was found carrying four live rounds of bullets in his hand baggage before boarding a flight to Lucknow.
Officials had said Khan was intercepted by CISF security personnel at the airport terminal after they detected four live rounds of .32 bore bullets in his baggage during scanning.
He was later questioned by officials over carrying the prohibited ammunition to which he had expressed ignorance.
Officials had said he then produced his arms licence after which he was allowed to proceed.
Additional Director General of CISF (Airport sector) O P Singh had confirmed the incident.
