Azam Khan, a prominent leader of the Samajwadi Party, faced a significant blow as he was convicted in a hate speech case on Saturday, July 15, 2023. The Rampur MP-MLA Court sentenced Azam Khan to two years in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 1000. This verdict stems from a provocative and hateful speech delivered by Azam Khan during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Addressing a public gathering, Azam Khan made inflammatory remarks against CM Yogi Adityanath, the former DM of Rampur, and other officials.
The case against Azam Khan was registered at Shahzad Nagar police station in Rampur during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign. The charges included sections 171-G, 505(1)(b), and 125 of the Representation of the People Act. The court has now handed down a two-year jail sentence to Azam Khan. It is worth noting that he was previously sentenced to three years in prison in another hate speech case, but was later acquitted.
Reacting to the conviction, BJP MLA Akash Saxena expressed satisfaction, stating, “This outcome was inevitable. We have consistently fought for the truth, and the truth has prevailed. We are confident that this verdict will set an example for the nation, silencing those political leaders who fail to respect the judiciary. I believe the maximum punishment will be given in this case.”
The origins of the case trace back to a video of Azam Khan’s public meeting in Dhamora, Shahzad Nagar police station area, which surfaced during the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. At that time, the Samajwadi Party and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party formed an alliance to contest the elections. Azam Khan was the alliance candidate for the Rampur parliamentary seat. Following the emergence of the video, ADO Panchayat Anil Chauhan lodged a complaint against Azam Khan at Shahzad Nagar police station.