"Anti-Romeo Squads" in UP are because of people like Azam Khan: Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday attacked Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, saying that the state government's initiative – Anti-Romeo Squads – is because of people like him, who had made controversial remarks against BJP's Rampur candidate Jaya Prada.

Anti-Romeo Squads is group of small police teams formed to watch and stop sexual harassment of women at public places.

The initiative had come under attack from the opposition after reports of police harassing innocent people had emerged.

"Our government has constituted anti-Romeo squad for persons like Azam," he was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

"A jeev (human being) of SP (Samajwadi Party) lives in Rampur... What kind of language he used for Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar... Today Mayawati ji is seeking votes for those who had disrespected Baba saheb... What kind of language he uses against mothers and daughters?" he said at a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal.

Azam Khan had courted a controversy over his remark: "You made the person your representative for 10 years. Understanding the person's real face you took 17 years. I realised in 17 days that the underwear beneath is of the khaki colour."

The comment, apparently targeted at Jaya Prada, has handed him a ban of 72-hours from the Election Commission.