Akhilesh Yadav meets Azam Khan; claims 'UP Govt imposing bogus charges on SP leader'

Putting an end to the rift rumours, Samajwadi Party (SP) Supremo Akhilesh Yadav on May 11 met senior party leader Azam Khan in Sitapur jail. While addressing the media, he said that the hearings in Azam Khan's cases are going on in Supreme Court and High Court and the party hopes that he will be released soon. The SP Chief further stated that the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government doesn't want Azam Khan to get out of prison. He claimed that bogus charges are being imposed on Khan as the Yogi government is creating pressure on some officers. 

Akhilesh Yadav meets Azam Khan

"Today I came to meet that SP leader who raised the EVM issue. EVM and Ballot papers were Election Commission's (EC) responsibility. There are hearings going on in HC & SC, I hope Azam Khan will come out of jail very soon. Since the BJP govt is formed in UP, it has been a constant effort of the govt to put so much pressure on him that he cannot get out of jail. The government doesn't want that Azam Khan should come out of jail. Under pressure from govt, some officers imposed wrong cases on him. We are hopeful that he will be released soon. BJP is trying to rake up Hindu & Muslim issues in order to create a rift," said Akhilesh Yadav.

SP's Azam Khan gets bail from Allahabad HC but will remain in prison in another case

Azam Khan on May 10 was granted bail for two months by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on May 10. However, the former UP cabinet minister will have to remain in jail in connection with one pending case. He got bail in connection with a case related to grabbing 'enemy property' on 1 lakh security and was ordered by the court to hand over the property to the Para Military forces. An FIR was registered during the partition, that alleged that a man Imamuddin Qureshi went to Pakistan and his land was recorded as enemy property, but Khan conspired and grabbed the plot.

A single-judge bench of Justice Rahul Chaturvedi granted bail to Khan, who is at present lodged in Sitapur prison. In total, there are 88 cases registered against the SP leader, out of which his bail has been approved in 87 cases while one case is still pending. Recently, a new case has been registered against him on the charges of submitting a forged building document in order to obtain the recognition of three schools which he is the chairman of.

Azam Khan's rift with SP 

On April 10, Azam Khan's media in-charge Fasahat Ali Khan Sanu levelled serious allegations against Akhilesh Yadav and stated that he had visited the Rampur MLA in jail only once. He accused the SP Chief of “ignoring” the former party MP and maintaining silence on issues concerning the Muslim community. Lambasting Akhilesh Yadav for not talking about Khan in public anymore, he expressed disappointment that the former had decided to become the Leader of Opposition in the UP Assembly. 

On April 22, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party president Shivpal Yadav reached Sitapur to meet Azam Khan and stated that the Akhilesh-led party is not helping the senior member of its party. Following this, many political leaders, including Congress and BJP, visited the Sitapur jail where Khan is currently lodged. SP’s ally and RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary also surprised many with his visit to Rampur to meet Azam’s wife and son.

Meanwhile, refuting all the claims, Akhilesh Yadav reiterated that he has been supporting the senior leader from day one and will continue to support him further.

Azam Khan also won the 2022 UP Assembly election from his hometown Rampur for the tenth time, from jail. Azam Khan's son Abdullah Azam won the election from a neighbouring constituency. Different criminal charges, right from land grabbing to goat stealing, were levelled against him. 

Image: PTI, ANI