Lucknow, May 16 (IANS). Samajwadi Party MLA Ravidas Mehrotra has launched a scathing attack on the two-year jail sentence given to Azam Khan by the special MP-MLA court in the ‘Tankhaiyya’ comment case during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign. He called it a conspiracy to crush opposition leaders.
Ravidas Mehrotra said, “BJP is using big lawyers to get opposition leaders punished. If Azam Khan had used some words during the election campaign, then in my opinion it is not right to give him two years imprisonment for just one comment.”
Ravidas Mehrotra expressed caution when Madhya Pradesh High Court declared the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Masjid complex as a temple. He said, “It is not appropriate to comment on the order given by the High Court. People should respect the court’s decision.”
He also raised questions on the recent Uttar Pradesh cabinet expansion. Mehrotra said, “The cabinet has been expanded, but the ministers who have been appointed have not yet been assigned the portfolios. It seems that for this too, the leaders of the central government will decide who should get which department.”
Ravidas Mehrotra disagreed on the recent statement of Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, National President of All India Muslim Jamaat. He said, “I do not agree with his statement. Mulayam Singh Yadav was a true well-wisher of the weaker sections of the society and the Muslim community. Similarly, Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav respects all religions and all sections of the society.”
There is resentment in SP regarding the continuous punishments being given to Azam Khan. The party is calling it political vendetta, while the BJP is calling it a victory of law. Many cases have already been registered against Azam Khan and he has also been convicted in some of them.
–IANS
SCH/DKP