SP chief Akhilesh Yadav stands by Rampur MP Azam Khan, constitutes 21-member panel to probe alleged land grabbing cases against him

In a bid to defend Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday has constituted a 21-member committee, led by the leader of opposition in the Legislative Council Ahmad Hasan, to probe "fake cases" lodged against party MP Azam Khan in Rampur. "

The 21-member committee of party legislators led by Leader of Opposition in Legislative council will reach Rampur on July 20 and probe fake cases pertaining to encroachment of land of farmers against Khan, who is also the vice-chancellor of the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, and incidents to harass him by the district administration," SP chief spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury said to PTI.

Chowdhury added that the committee will be submitting its report to the party president within three days of the visit.

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Land-grabbing case against Khan

Khan has been alleged to have forcibly taken land from farmers. The Rampur district administration has lodged around two dozen cases against the former cabinet minister.

There are reports that the district administration is planning to put up Rampur MP Azam Khan's name on the anti-land mafia portal that was introduced by the Yogi Adityanath government.

As per the UP government, the incidents happened between 2006 and 2016 when Khan was a powerful minister in the Samajwadi Party government (2012-17).

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Death threats claims

Khan has previously repeatedly claimed threats to his life saying that conspiracy was afoot to kill him by different governments and many high officials.

"To remove me from the state, every government has made efforts. An attempt at my life was made, my license was cancelled. Serious allegations were made and a conspiracy to kill me in an encounter was planned, where high officials complained that I was a danger to his life. This was all a ruse to murder me," he said in an interview.

Khan had fought a very controversial and communal poll battle for Rampur constituency against BJP's newly-inducted actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada.

(With PTI Inputs)