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Journalism of Courage
Taking a dig at the BJP-led state government for keeping his party MP in jail in cases related to petty crimes, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav Friday said that while the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni is out on bail after mowing down farmers, Azam Khan was sent to jail for “false charges” like theft of buffaloes, goats and books.
Akhilesh was in Rampur on Friday to campaign for Azam and his son Abdullah who are contesting the elections from Rampur Sadar and Suar seats respectively. He appealed for votes while continuing his campaign trail on his “chunav rath”.
“Azam Khan was also sent to jail on false charges. Cases of buffalo theft, chicken theft and theft of books were lodged against him. But the man who crushed farmers under the wheels of a jeep has come out of jail. This is the new India of the BJP,” he added.
The Allahabad High Court on Thursday granted bail to Ashish Mishra, the son of Union minister Ajay Mishra, in a case of violence in Lakhimpur Kheri district in which eight people, including four farmers, were killed.
Akhilesh claimed that the senior SP leader set up a university and was working in the field of education, but the BJP government booked them in false cases. Azam got the Jauhar University built in Rampur. He has been in Sitapur jail for over two years and is facing over 80 criminal cases, including ones on land grabbing. His son, and wife Tazeen Fatima were also lodged in jail as they were co-accused with him in some of the cases. The two are out on bail presently.
Firing fresh salvo at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his “garmi nikaal denge” jibe, the SP chief said, “Kya Baba ji compressor hain jo garmi thanda kar denge? (Is Baba a compressor that he will release the heat?)”
The former chief minister also said that the BJP ally Apna Dal (S) had fielded a “udhaar ka pratyashi” (borrowed candidate) against Abdullah in Suar. Haider Ali had got a Congress ticket before Apna Dal (S) announced him as its candidate.
Akhilesh also raised questions about Adityanath’s claim about giving laptops to youngsters, saying not a single laptop had been haned out in Rampur.
