In a significant development, the Rampur court in Uttar Pradesh overturned the verdict of a lower court and acquitted Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan in a hate speech case dating back to 2019. The decision comes as a relief to Khan, who was previously found guilty of hate speech targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The controversial Samajwadi leader had been accused of creating an atmosphere in the country where Muslims found it difficult to exist. However, the special court accepted the appeal filed against Khan’s sentence, leading to his acquittal and the subsequent overturning of the earlier verdict.
Expressing their satisfaction with the court’s decision, Khan’s counsel Vinod Sharma stated, “We have been acquitted in the hate speech case. We are happy that we have got justice.” Sharma further added, “Our contention that we had been framed in the case has been upheld by the court, and the judgment is in our favor.”
The initial guilty verdict had resulted in Khan’s disqualification as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). Subsequently, a by-election was conducted in the Rampur Sadar seat, where the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate, Akash Saxena, emerged victorious by defeating Samajwadi Party’s Asim Raja, a close aide of Khan.
Azam Khan commands a significant following in Rampur and other parts of western Uttar Pradesh, making his acquittal a matter of considerable importance for his supporters. However, it is noteworthy that this verdict pertains specifically to the hate speech case, and Khan still faces multiple other legal challenges.
It is worth mentioning that the Samajwadi leader has been embroiled in a staggering 87 cases since the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017. These cases involve a range of charges, including corruption, theft, and land grab. Khan’s legal battles have attracted widespread attention due to his political stature and influence in the region.
As this latest verdict clears him of the hate speech charges, it remains to be seen how Azam Khan’s legal battles will unfold in the future. The outcome of the remaining cases will undoubtedly have a significant impact on his political career and the Samajwadi Party’s fortunes in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
