Government Rubbishes Azam Khan's Claim Of PM Modi, Dawood Meet

Lucknow/New Delhi: Government on Saturday dismissed as "false and baseless" the allegation of senior Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met underworld don Dawood Ibrahim during his Lahore visit.

"There are some statements alleging that the Prime Minister met Dawood Ibrahim in Lahore at the residence of PM Nawaz Sharif. It is unfounded, baseless and false," an official spokesman said on Saturday reacting to Mr Khan's statement.

While the BJP attacked Mr Khan, even a Congress spokesperson attached no importance to it saying it cannot be believed.

"Prime Minister visited Pakistan by breaking international laws. He also met Dawood there. Let him (Modi) deny. I will give evidence. Who all did he meet behind closed doors?" Mr Khan said.

He said besides Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif, his mother, his wife and daughters, Dawood Ibrahim was also present when PM Modi met Sharifs during his surprise visit on Christmas last year.

BJP's Sudhanshu Mittal asked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to "immediately" dismiss the minister. "If Akhilesh means business, he should immediately dismiss him for disturbing communal harmony and brining shame to the nation. I am shocked," he said.

Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said Mr Khan has been in public life for a long time and he should not have made the statement without substantiating it.

"We may have differences with a lot of personalities but that does not mean we believe in whatever is said," he said adding that Mr Khan is the same person who asked UP policemen to trace his buffalo.