Azam Khan’s conviction, disqualification from Assembly create a flutter in U.P.

While the bureaucracy — one of the targets of the SP leader’s ‘hate speech’ — feels vindicated, his supporters and colleagues say that though he may have made a mistake, the punishment given to him is not commensurate with his transgression

The conviction of senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan by a local court in Rampur and his subsequent disqualification from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly have created a flutter on the ground.

While the bureaucracy — which was one of the principal targets of Mr. Khan’s ‘hate speech’ — feels vindicated, the leader’s supporters and party colleagues feel that though he may have made a mistake, the punishment given to him is not commensurate with his transgression.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign, Mr. Khan had used provocative remarks against the then Rampur District Magistrate Aunjaneya Kumar Singh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Congress candidate Sanjay Kapoor.

A case was registered against him in Rampur in April 2019.

In his order, typed in Hindi, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Nishant Maan found Mr. Khan guilty of violating Sections 153A and 505 (1) of the IPC and Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951.

The order said the accused was a law graduate, a former Cabinet Minister and a member of the Legislative Assembly when he made the said speech and that his speeches have had a special impact on people. “The words used in the speech and their purpose were, as per law, provocative and repulsive. They could have divided society and led to a breach of law and order, and peace. The words were used with the intent to humiliate the government and the administration, and sought to generate hatred against the government,” it said.

‘Bail mandatory’