Azam Khan Gets Three-Year Jail In 2019 Hate Speech Case; Set To Lose Assembly Membership

A MP-MLA Rampur court on Thursday sentenced Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan to three years in jail in a 2019 hate speech case, a government lawyer said.

However, the court granted bail to the Rampur MLA, allowing him time to file an appeal in a higher court.

The MP-MLA court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Khan, advocate Ajay Tiwari said.

A case was registered against Khan in Rampur in April 2019 for levelling serious allegations against administrative officials posted in Rampur and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during an election meeting.

Earlier too, Khan had been in jail for long periods under several charges.

Khan's incarceration period also saw increased bitterness between him and SP chief, Akhilesh Yadav.

In April this year, Khan’s media in-charge Fasahat Khan alias Sanu claimed that Akhilesh Yadav doesn’t want Azam Khan to be out of jail.

Referring to CM Adityanath’s comment made in February amidst the elections, Fasahat Khan contended, “Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s comment was right that Akhilesh Yadav doesn’t want Azam Khan to be out (of jail). We made you and Mulayam Yadav Uttar Pradesh CM but you didn't make Azam Khan as Leader of Opposition. You only went once to meet him in jail.”

Azam Khan was also reportedly upset over not being made the Leader of Opposition in the new UP assembly. That title is currently with Akhilesh Yadav who gave up his Lok Sabha seat to stay in the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.

With the latest verdict of the MP-MLA court though, Khan is set to lose his Assembly membership.

With inputs from PTI.