Azam Khan Freed After Two Years as Samajwadi Party Promises to Clear His Name

Samajwadi Party (SP) founder member and former Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister Azam Khan was released on bail from Sitapur jail after nearly two years of incarceration, marking a significant moment for his supporters and the party. The 77-year-old leader, granted bail by the Allahabad High Court in the Quality Bar land encroachment case, emerged to a crowd of cheering party workers and family members in Rampur, his hometown, expressing gratitude to those “who prayed for him” while refraining from claiming justice had been fully served.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav hailed the release as a triumph of justice, emphasizing Khan’s pivotal role in the party and India’s socialist movement. “Today is a moment of great joy… he has finally got justice,” Yadav stated in Lucknow, alleging that Khan faced “hundreds of fabricated cases” under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government. Yadav pledged that, if the SP returns to power in Uttar Pradesh, all “false cases” against Khan and others, including targeted journalists, would be withdrawn, mirroring actions he claimed the BJP took for its own leaders.

Khan’s release, following a court order by Justice Samir Jain on a case involving alleged illegal occupation of bar premises in Rampur, dismissed speculations of him joining the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). SP national general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav refuted such rumors, affirming Khan’s unwavering loyalty to the SP. In contrast, BJP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, downplayed the political impact, asserting that Khan’s affiliations would not alter the BJP’s prospects in the 2027 assembly polls. Rampur BJP MLA Akash Saxena, who filed several cases against Khan, vowed to continue his “fight against injustice.”

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Khan, a prominent figure in Rampur for over three decades, left the jail in his signature white kurta-pyjama and tinted sunglasses, accompanied by his sons, Adeeb and Abdullah, and senior SP leaders like Moradabad MP Ruchi Vira. Despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita to prevent unrest, supporters caused traffic congestion near the jail, leading to police action. “There was chaos despite restrictions,” said City Circle Officer Vinayak Bhosle, noting that vehicles were challaned to manage the situation.

The SP celebrated Khan’s release as a “victory of justice,” with Vira highlighting the party’s trust in the judiciary and Khan’s unprecedented political targeting. As Khan returns to Rampur, his release reignites debates over political vendettas and judicial fairness, setting the stage for heightened political activity ahead of Uttar Pradesh’s 2027 elections.

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