Yogi Adityanath slams Akhilesh Yadav for meeting Umar Khalid's father: 'Shows your intent'

Lashing out at Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav, UP CM Yogi Adityanath on Thursday questioned his meeting with activist Umar Khalid's father Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas. Addressing an event, Adityanath claimed that Yadav's meeting with a 'Desk ke tukde honge' sloganeer's family made his intentions suspect. The 403-seat UP assembly where Yogi rules with an iron-clad majority of 314 seats, is up for grabs in February 2022.

Yogi: Why meet with 'Tukde-Tukde' member?

Akhilesh meets Umar Khalid's father

On October 2, the national president of the Welfare Party of India, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, had met SP president Akhilesh Yadav. . His party has announced its support to the SP in the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Ilyas, who is Khalid's father, is also the part of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) which had filed a review petition regarding Supreme Court's verdict on Ayodhya case - but was dismissed by the SC.

Umar Khalid in jail

Khalid was arrested on September 13, 2020, as he allegedly met with suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and Saifi on January 8 to allegedly 'hatch a conspiracy' during Trump's visit to India. In the meeting, Hussain was reportedly asked to prepare for something big at the time of US President Donald Trump's visit to India. The chargesheet accused Saifi of giving him some money for the preparations, naming him as one of the persons responsible for organizing the riots in Delhi's Khureji area. Khalid has since then been in judicial custody as his bail has been rejected several times. Recently, he was granted bail in connection to the riots which took place in Khajuri Khas area in February 2020 as the chargesheet in the case has already been filed.

Delhi police have filed a 17,000-page charge sheet and a 1000-page charge sheet naming Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Faizan Khan, Danish, Parvez, Ilyas,  'United Against Hate' chief Khalid Saifi, Congress ex-councillor Ishrat Jahan, Tahir Hussain, RJD youth wing’s Meeran Haider, Pinjda Tod activists Gulfisha Fatima, Safoora Zargar, Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita as accused of 'criminal conspiracy' - leading to Delhi riots which killed 53 in February 2020. Delhi police have named Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and Faizan Khan as the main accused for allegedly planning the riots to 'distract attention from Donald Trump's visit', under the UAPA act. The above-mentioned accused have been charged under several sections of  Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and several sections of IPC including - rioting, murder, criminal conspiracy which has a maximum sentence of the death penalty.