I-T searches places linked to Azam Khan, SP says BJP afraid of its defeat in polls

“Searches were conducted at Azam Khan’ house in Rampur and at a resort registered in the name of Azam’s wife, Tanzeen Fatima. Searches were also conducted at the house of members of the Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, headed by Azam Khan, and on the premises of Jauhar University, run by the  Mohammad Ali Jauhar,” said sources in the I-T Department.

Searches were also conducted at the Bhopal residence of a Trust member.

“Besides Rampur, the searches were carried out in Sitapur, Saharanpur, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, and Meerut in UP. In Lucknow, the search was carried out at the house of Azam Khan’s chartered accountant,” said the sources.

Reacting to the I-T raids, SP president Akhilesh Yadav accused the ruling BJP of “misusing Central agencies” to target the Opposition parties. Coming out in support of his party leader, Akhilesh said, “Mohammad Azam Khan is the voice of truth…He has laid the foundation for a better future for the children… set up a university for education. He has always been fighting communal forces. Today, the entire party stands with his voice.”

Stating that “the weaker the government gets, the more raids there will be against the Opposition”, Akhilesh said BJP was afraid of the Opposition bloc INDIA and “upset” at losing the Ghosi Assembly bypoll.

Calling the action “anti-constitutional and anti-democracy”, the SP chief said: “The BJP government is continuously working with a spirit of revenge against the leaders of the Opposition parties. Even before this, the BJP had filed fake cases to tarnish the honest image of Khan. He got relief from the court.”

Investigations into financial irregularities in Azam’s tenure as a minister in the SP government in the state is being probed by the state’s Vigilance Department. A separate probe is being carried out by the Enforcement Directorate.

Since the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, 81 cases have been registered against Khan in Rampur on various charges, including land-grabbing, cheating and criminal trespass. His wife and son were also booked in some of these cases. All three are currently out on bail.

Meanwhile, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya hit out at Akhilesh over the raids. In a post on X, he said, “In the Bhrashtachar Mukt Bharat (corruption-free India) campaign, the central agencies have the right to conduct raids. The innocent need not worry. SP president Akhilesh Yadav, why are you making hue and cry over the raids? The corrupt family club members are not able to tolerate the Bhrashtachar Mukt Bharat campaign.”