Ganga is as holy to us as to Hindus--Azam Khan

Allahabad, Aug 8 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan today said river Ganga was as holy to Muslims as to Hindus.

Addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of second water works on river Yamuna here Mr Khan said that if hindus could visit their religious places after having a dip in river ganga why could Muslims not go on '' Haj '' after performing '' vazu'' in the holy water of river Ganga.

He said Ganga was not the river of any particular community but of whole nation and it was the duty of all section of the people to maintain its purity.

Mr Khan said his government was in favour of some pucca construction including laying of water pipe lines, boring of tubewells and roads but following unavoidable reasons it was not becoming possible.

He said ''I wanted to do some good work in the mela area so that the people specially the saints and sadhus should remember that a muslim minister has done a good work for us.'' He said, ''our efforts would be to provide all basic facilities to the pilgrims visiting the ardh-kumbh mela next year in January and for that the government has already allotted Rs 176 crores.

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