SP chief Akhilesh Yadav issued a statement Thursday, which claimed that BJP was aiming to malign the image of senior SP leaders.
A day after an FIR was registered against Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan on a complaint by Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh — who claimed the former was threatening his family members — the SP on Thursday alleged that BJP was behind the move.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav issued a statement Thursday, which claimed that BJP was aiming to malign the image of senior SP leaders.
Alleging that Khan’s life was under threat, the former chief minister demanded security for him and that the FIR against him be immediately expunged.
“The BJP is frustrated by the secular image of Azam Khan and his achievements like the skilled management of the Kumbh Mela in the past and establishing Jauhar University. That is why they are trying to defame and politically harass him…The management was applauded even abroad…what could be a better example of secularism,” the statement read.
Earlier in the day, SP’s national spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary had said at a press conference, “In today’s time, there can be a fake encounter anywhere in the state. Fake FIRs are also a possibility…The government is working with a mentality of revenge and the FIR against Azam Khan is under BJP’s agenda. This is an attempt to harass Khan.”
The FIR was registered against Khan at Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar police station under sections IPC 153 A (promoting enmity), 153 B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religions) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
Amar Singh had alleged that Khan threatened his daughter of an acid attack, after which he (Singh) went on an “FIR Yatra” from New Delhi to Lucknow, covering 16 districts before reaching the state capital on Wednesday. He had earlier threatened that if his FIR is not registered, he would start protests all over the country.
Khan could not be reached for comment.