BJP leader Jaya Prada on Friday approached the Election Commission seeking her political rival Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan’s disqualification for holding the ‘office of profit’ despite being an elected Member of Parliament (MP).
BJP leader Jaya Prada: I have written to the Election Commission that after being elected a member of Parliament from Rampur, Md Azam Khan cannot hold an ‘office of profit’ (He is Chancellor of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University). It is illegal. He should be suspended as MP. pic.twitter.com/jAk9XhzB74
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 7, 2019
In a letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and State Election Commissioner, Jaya claimed that Khan still holds the post of the Vice-Chancellor of Jauhar University despite being an elected representative from Rampur.
Jaya who quit Samajwadi Party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls 2019 to join BJP was pitted against Khan from Rampur. In a bitter battle, Khan, however, clinched the seat by a victory margin of 1,09,997 votes. Khan polled 5,59,177 votes, while Jaya got 4,49,180 votes.
Citing example Jaya Bachchan, Samajwadi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP, who had to quit as MP because they were holding ‘office of profit’, Jaya Prada demanded that Khan should be disqualified on similar lines.
Talking to ANI Jaya furthered, “if any person if having an office of profit despite being an MP or an MLA, then it is wrong, I appeal to the EC that this mistake should not be forgiven and he should be disqualified,” adding “I have assured the people of Rampur that justice will be done.”
Jaya asserted if EC does not act on her complaint, she will approach the High Court.
In the run-up to the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, both Jaya and Khan had engaged in a verbal spat with each other. SP’s strongman Khan had passed derogatory remarks at his political rival Jaya who was contesting against him from his bastion, Rampur.
Following Khan’s disgusting misogynist ‘Khaki underwear’ remark on Jaya, Khan was barred from election campaigning for over 72-hours.
The war of words between the two had started almost immediately after BJP pitted Jaya from Rampur constituency against Khan after she joined BJP in March early this year.