On Monday (29th April), Zia Ur Rahman Barq, the Samajwadi Party candidate for the Sambhal Lok Sabha constituency was booked for making incendiary statements about deceased gangster-turned-politicians Atiq Ahmad and Mukhtar Ansari. Other than Zia Ur Rahman, five other unidentified persons have also been named as the accused in the case lodged at Kotwali Police Station.
While meeting with residents at the Chaman Sarai locality in Sambhal, Zia ur Rehman, the grandson of the late former MP Shafiqur Rehman Barq, on Sunday, April 28, sought votes in the name of the “Qurbani” [sacrifice] of gangster-turned-politicians Mohammad Shahabuddin, Mukhtar Ansari, and Atiq Ahmed.
In the said speech, the Kundarki MLA said: “Jo Qurbani. Jo Pareshani BJP key time par hui hai. Wo apko zyada bataney ki zarurat nahi hai. Chahey Azam khan ko jail mai dal kar, unke pure pariwar ko jail mai dal kar kiya gaya hai. Chahe hamare Sahabuddin Sahab ho, Atiq Ahmed Sahab ho, Mukhtar Ansari sahab ho, jo unke saath hua hai, who koi bhul nahi sakta. Meri guzarish hai aap sab logon se, kasam hai aap logon ko, ki unki Qurbani ko zaya mat hone dein. Is Bharatiya Janata Party ka supda saaf ho kar rahega. [There is no need to remind you of the sacrifices and challenges faced during the BJP’s rule. Putting Azam Khan Sahab and his family in jail. No one can forget what happened to Shahabuddin Sahab, Atiq Ahmad Sahab, or Mukhtar Ansari Sahab. I urge everyone to vow not to let their sacrifices be forgotten. The BJP must be defeated in the elections].”
“They [the BJP] are trying to instil fear in us by displaying bulldozers but they don’t know that we fear no one except Allah,” he added.
Speaking about the case registered against Zia Ur Rehman Barq, Shrish Chandra, Additional Superintendent of Police (Sambhal), stated that they are reviewing video footage of Zia Ur Rehman’s speech. According to a police officer, the suspects were charged under IPC sections 171-C (undue influence during elections), 153-A (promoting hatred between various groups on the basis of religion and race), and 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant).
The police stated that Zia Ur Rehman characterised “heinous criminals who belong to a particular religion as heroes” in his address, thereby inciting a breakdown of public order.
Notably, Atiq Ahmed was shot dead in police custody in Prayagraj last year, and Mukhtar Ansari died of cardiac arrest in a Banda hospital last month. Former Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Azam Khan is presently in Sitapur jail after being convicted in multiple cases.
Reacting to the case registered against him, Zia Ur Rehman Barq said: “When BJP violates the rules, then no action is taken while when I gave a speech, a case is registered. We will not forget this one-sided action…Our time will also come.”
