In a 2019 hate speech case against Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Samajwadi Party politician and former minister Azam Khan was sentenced on Thursday to three years in prison along with a fine of Rs 2,000.
An MP-MLA court in Rampur found Khan guilty of the crime.
The court, meanwhile, granted him bail in the case.
Currently serving as a lawmaker from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, Khan is a top leader of the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi party.
The case was registered against Azam Khan at Milak Kotwali in Rampur on April 9, 2019, for allegedly making provocative remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and IAS Aunjaneya Kumar Singh, the then district magistrate, under sections 153a (promoting enmity between two groups), 505-1 (statement conducing to public mischief) of IPC along with sections 125 of the Representation of People Act 1951.
Akash Saxena, the BJP leader who had lodged the complaint against Azam Khan, termed the court’s decision as a vindication of his stand. He said it is a historic verdict that will make people think twice before making defamatory statements.
Courtesy: The Daily Siasat