Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan has been disqualified from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly after the verdict in the hate speech case, according to UP Assembly Secretariat.
On Thursday, the special MP/MLA court of Rampur, Uttar Pradesh convicted Khan, 74, following a 'provocative' speech made against UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in 2019 and sentenced him along with three others accused from SP to a jail term for three years.
However, the court granted bail to the Rampur MLA, allowing him time to file an appeal in a higher court. "I have not lost faith. Not all doors have closed - I will appeal before a higher court," said the Samajwadi Party MLA.
The MP/MLA court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Khan, advocate Ajay Tiwari said.
The court convicted the leader of hate speech after a case was registered against Azam Khan at Milak Kotwali in Rampur on April 9, 2019, for allegedly making provocative remarks against Yogi Adityanath and IAS Aunjaneya Kumar Singh, the then DM, under sections 153a (promoting enmity between two groups), 505-1 (statement conducing to public mischief) of IPC along with sections 125 of the Representation of People Act 1951.
