Azam Khan sentenced to 2 years in jail for hate speech given in 2019

Azam Khan, a outstanding chief of the Samajwadi Party, confronted a big blow as he was convicted in a hate speech case on Saturday, July 15, 2023. The Rampur MP-MLA Court sentenced Azam Khan to 2 years in jail and imposed a effective of Rs 1000. This verdict stems from a provocative and hateful speech delivered by Azam Khan through the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Addressing a public gathering, Azam Khan made inflammatory remarks towards CM Yogi Adityanath, the previous DM of Rampur, and different officers.

The case towards Azam Khan was registered at Shahzad Nagar police station in Rampur through the 2019 Lok Sabha election marketing campaign. The fees included sections 171-G, 505(1)(b), and 125 of the Representation of the People Act. The courtroom has now handed down a two-year jail sentence to Azam Khan. It is value noting that he was beforehand sentenced to 3 years in jail in one other hate speech case, however 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 hint again to a video of Azam Khan’s public assembly in Dhamora, Shahzad Nagar police station space, which surfaced through the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. At that point, the Samajwadi Party and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party shaped 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 criticism towards Azam Khan at Shahzad Nagar police station.