Do not defame Azamgarh, pleads Cong leader

Lucknow, Oct 1 (UNI) Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Ramnaresh Yadav today said those terming Azamgarh as a ' nursery of terrorism' should be identified as anti-nationals.

'' How could we make such an irresponsible general statement about a district of over 4 million people when only a handful of youths have been identified as terrorists'', he wondered.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Yadav said that due to recent arrests of several youths of Azamgarh in the serial blasts, the youngsters of the region were being denied jobs accomodations in other parts of the country.

''The bad name earned by Azamgarh has already paralysed the loom industry and local trade here'', he claimed.

However, the former Chief Minister made it clear that he never favoured terrorism and said people involved in the anti-national activities should not be spared.'' But how can people say that Azamgarh is a nursery of terrorism in the country, a place identified with the names like Rahul Sankartyan,Kaifi Azmi and Maulana Numani'', he asked.

Mr Yadav said efforts should be made to bring the youths involved in the anti-national activities in the main stream while the government should streamline its intelligence wing to identify those involved in the gruesome deeds UNI MB SB SB VC1835