By Kulsum Mustafa
Lucknow: One of the first VVIP visitors at Sitapur jail to meet inmate Mohammed Azam Khan was Samajwadi Party (SP) national president and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav. Veteran politician Khan, Rampur MP, his ex-legislator son Abdullah Azam, representing Rampur Suar assembly segment and wife Tezeen Khan, MLA from Rampur Assembly, were arrested and sent to prison after they surrendered in Rampur Court on 26th February 2020. The trio, all from SP, will be in judicial custody till March 2. Imprisonment was on charges of allegedly fraudulently securing and submitting a fake birth certificate of Abdullah at the time of filing nomination for contesting the state assembly elections of 2017.
The three had been declared absconders when they had failed to appear before the court even when charge sheets were filed against them in April 2019 and non-bailable warrants issued by the court thereafter. There are 80 plus criminal cases filed against Khans, including economic offenses pertaining to Jauhar University of which Khan is the Chancellor. The charges range from goat and books theft to spearheading land mafia movement wherein poor farmers land was forcefully acquired. When the khans have been given bail in a few cases, the major cases still awaiting a decision. No respite seems in sight for the Khans from these legal battles
Khandaan in jail
While the arrest brings ill-repute for Khan, as he becomes the first MP and political leader to be arrested with family, there also looms big trouble for the Samajwadi Party which has a large Muslim chunk as its support base in the state. In the arrest of Azam Khan, one of the founder members of the party and SP’s lone ‘Muslim Poster Boy’ the party, plagued for years now with many internal setbacks is plunged into a deep crisis. While there are several Muslims in the party enjoying high positions, but no one to match Azam Khan’s stature and experience. His imprisonment has created a big void which is not possible to fill by any other Muslim leader. The party is left with no tall Muslim leader to lead the minority voters in the coming 2022 assembly elections in the state.
Nine term MLA
Nine term MLA from Rampur constituency which has nearly 51 percent Muslim voters, Khan has literally ruled over Rampur. This firebrand Pathan’s word has been the law in this area. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, SP won on just five seats, one of that was of Azam. The two others- also Muslims were S T Hasan from Moradabad and SR Burg from Sambhal. The father-son duo Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav added their strength to take the figure of winners to five.
It was because of the fear of a backlash in Rampur and the fact that Azam enjoys a certain level of support in his home town that may affect the security and public law and order that the administer while fist lodging him in Rampur jail shifted him before dawn to Sitapur jail, some 300 odd km from Rampur.
Seems the party never needed Azam Khan more than it needs him now. No politician in the state appears to have mastered the art of rhetoric better than him. His inimitable style coupled with his acid tongue guarantees rubble-rousing, especially among the minorities. No SP leader is more suited to counter and check the saffron rage and hate speeches of eminent BJP leaderships. A star campaigner during elections Azam Khan’s verbal lashing laced with choicest of words is done with elan. But seems that Yogi has struck at the right time, Azam Khan is not likely to take Centre stage in 2022 assembly polls, he will be busier saving not just his skin but also that of his entire clan. The ball is now in the court of Yogi and he is not known to deal lightly with his opponents.
Azam Khan himself and his supporters are crying foul and say that it is all political vendetta and that he is paying the price of opposing the present regime’s nefarious designs and anti-people policies.
Azam Khan’s self-proclaimed statements of honesty, well-wisher of minorities had raised many an eyebrow in the past not just among his own party men but even outside. He had created many foes due to his arrogant attitude, with his acid tongue and foul temper and language. Not known to have any mercy for anyone who disagreed with him his temperament has antagonized many. Many Stories of his high have been doing the rounds. Reduced to a mere toothless tiger in the years ahead Azam Khan, a lawyer turned politician has been brought to his knees it remains to be seen how and how long he will be able to take this pressure. From a jail cell to the courtroom can break many tough guys, the journey on the unknown path has just begun for Azam Khan and his hum saath saath hain family
How it all began
Akash Saxena, a BJP Rampur leader had lodged an FIR in Hazratganj, Lucknow on January 3, 2019, in which he had alleged that Abdullah had submitted a false date of birth certificate. A case was registered against Abdullah, and against Azam Khan and wife for submitting an affidavit to testify the authenticity of the certificate. In April 2020 the police filed a charge sheet, under section 420 Abdullah was unseated by the high court for being underage on the date of filing nomination papers. It was alleged that Abdullah has two passports and two pan cards.
In September 2019, the court issued summons to Khans taking cognizance of the charge sheets filed against them wherein they have been charged with forgery and cheating. But even then when they failed to appear before the court, non-bailable warrants were issued. The trio was later declared absconders under section 82 of CrPC
Suar seat falls vacant
The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Thursday disqualified Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan from the membership of the House and declared his Suar seat in Rampur district as vacant.
Since the Allahabad High Court had set aside the election of Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan, son of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, he has been disqualified as a member from that date – December 16, 2019, a notification issued by the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat said.