Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan, convicted recently in a hate speech case, said that he feared being shot dead in a manner similar to gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, reported ANI.
An emotional Khan, while campaigning for the party candidate for the Uttar Pradesh civic polls on Friday, said, “People of Rampur, what do you want from me and my children? Do you want someone to come and shoot us in head? That’s all that is left…Save Nizam-e-Hind, save the law, you don’t have to offer anything, you just have to encourage yourself.”
Days after gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad was killed in a police encounter, the former politician and his brother Ashraf, flanked by police personnel and media persons, were shot by three assailants in close range in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on April 15. Atiq was talking to reporters when a gun was pulled close to his head by the assailant, who later surrendered.
Khan further said, referring to his disqualification from the House over a hate speech case, “We will cast our vote, it’s our birthright but that too is being snatched from us twice, if it gets snatched thrice then you won’t even to the right to breathe.”
The case was registered against Khan in April 2019 for levelling serious allegations against administrative officials posted in Rampur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during an election meeting.
Khan, who took to the stage after a long time as he is suffering from a prolonged illness, campaigned for Samajwadi Party candidate Fatima Zabi, who is contesting for the presidential post of Rampur municipality.
“Those who are saying today that the municipality is on contract, they had put the whole country on contract, Red Fort has been sold, airports have been sold, ports have been sold, railways have been sold, what is left? Only the army is left. It’s with Hukumat-e-Hind, it should remain. Our army and the government’s army are two different things. Our army is yours and we have seen this army fighting at every corner and have won,” the politician said.
The former Rampur MLA had been booked in more than 90 criminal cases after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2017, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Along with Azam Khan, his son Abdullah was also disqualified from the Suar Assembly constituency after being convicted in another case.