Akhilesh Yadav welcomes Azam Khan's release from jail, says all "false cases" against him will be withdrawn when Samajwadi Party forms government

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 23 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday welcomed the release of former Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan from jail, and said that all "false cases" against the party leader will be withdrawn when the party comes to power in the state.
Talking to reporters, he said that Samajwadi Party leaders and workers believed that court will do justice in cases related to Azam Khan. He also hoped that no "false cases" will be filed by the BJP government in the state.
"SP leader Azam Khan has been released from jail. I would like to thank the Court for this. We, the Samajwadis, believed that the Court would do justice. We hope that in the time to come, no false cases will be filed and no injustice will be done by the BJP; an officer was given extension after extension. This is a matter of joy for the Samajwadis that he has been released," he said.
Akhilesh Yadav said Azam Khan has played a major role in the fight against the BJP for a long time
"Azam Khan sahab is with the Samajwadi Party and its founder Netaji, and us. He has played a major role in the fight against the BJP for a long time. We are hopeful that every case against him will be closed. Just like the CM and DyCM have done for their leaders in the BJP, we will withdraw every false case registered against Azam Khan when Samajwadi Party forms the government," Yadav, a former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, said.
He was answering a query on speculations that Azam Khan could join BSP.
Akhilesh Yadav said Samajwadi Party, when it forms government, will also withdraw "false cases against journalists".
Azam Khan, who has been elected to assembly ten times from Rampur, was released from Sitapur jail today, where he was lodged for nearly 23 months. He was jailed in connection with the Quality Bar land encroachment case.
Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, who had come to recieve Azam Khan, attacked the Yogi Adityanath government alleging that Azam Khan was "framed" in false cases. He welcomed the decision by the courts to grant bail to Azam Khan, who was lodged in Sitapur jail.
"Azam Khan was framed by the government in false cases. However, the court has granted him bail and has provided relief to him in cases. I welcome this decision. Many false cases were filed against him. The Samajwadi Party stands beside him," Yadav, six-time MLA of Jaswantnagar assembly constituency, said.
Asked whether Khan could join the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Yadav dismissed the speculation. "These are all lies. Samajwadi Party is with him completely," he said. (ANI)