The raids are reportedly connected to the Ali Jauhar Trust, responsible for operating a university in Rampur established by Mr. Khan. In a show of solidarity, SP President Akhilesh Yadav denounced the raids as “vendetta” politics orchestrated by the BJP.
Lucknow : The Income Tax department has initiated a significant operation, conducting searches at various locations linked to Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan in Uttar Pradesh. This operation has witnessed teams of Income Tax personnel descending upon cities such as Rampur, Meerut, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Saharanpur, and Sitapur to execute raids on multiple properties associated with the prominent Samajwadi Party figure.
The primary focus of these raids appears to be the Ali Jauhar Trust, which operates a university in Rampur established by Mr. Khan. The investigation is part of an ongoing probe into allegations of tax evasion involving Azam Khan.
In a show of solidarity, SP President Akhilesh Yadav has denounced the raids, characterizing them as “vendetta” politics orchestrated by the BJP. He expressed support for Azam Khan and criticized the timing and nature of the raids, hinting at political motivations behind them.
Concurrently, searches were also carried out at the residence of Samajwadi Party MLA Naseer Ahmad Khan, a close associate of Azam Khan.
Notably, Azam Khan, who served as the representative for the Rampur Sadar constituency, faced disqualification from the state Assembly in October. This disqualification followed a court’s decision to sentence him to three years in jail for his involvement in a hate speech case.
The hate speech case against Khan dates back to April 2019 when he made serious allegations against administrative officials in Rampur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during an election meeting.
Azam Khan’s political career spans several decades, with his initial victory in the 1980 assembly election on the Janata Party (Secular) ticket from Rampur. Over the years, he has held ministerial positions in both the Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav governments.
