Ayodhya- Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Awadhesh Prasad on Thursday backed party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s recent statement that all cases against party leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Mohammad Azam Khan will be withdrawn once the party returns to power in 2027. "Our government will be formed in 2027, and Akhilesh Yadav will be the Chief Minister. Within 48 hours of forming the government, every case against Azam Khan will be withdrawn," Awadhesh Prasad said.

Awadhesh Prasad described Azam Khan as "a respected figure and one of the senior-most leaders in the Samajwadi Party". He alleged that the BJP government has targeted Azam Khan with false cases and fabricated evidence. "The BJP government has framed him in false cases based on lies and fabricated stories. He has spent almost two years in jail due to these politically motivated charges. This will cost the BJP in the coming times," he said. Addressing speculation about Azam Khan potentially joining another political party, Prasad dismissed the rumours outright. “There is no truth to such talk. There are even claims that the Central government may fall soon. So, these are all baseless. Azam Khan joining another party is also without foundation,” he added.

Azam Khan was released from Sitapur jail on Tuesday after spending nearly 23 months behind bars. His release was initially scheduled for 8 a.m. but was delayed after he failed to pay fines amounting to Rs 8,000 in two separate cases. His lawyer, Sadnam Singh, later submitted the payment in court, allowing for verification and his subsequent release. The SP leader was granted bail on September 18 by the Allahabad High Court in the Quality Bar land grab case.

The case had been registered at the Civil Lines police station in Rampur. Earlier, on September 10, the High Court had also granted him bail in another case related to the alleged forced eviction of residents from Rampur’s Dungarpur colony. In addition, Azam Khan was recently acquitted by a special MP-MLA court in a 17-year-old case involving allegations of road blockade and damage to public property. Over the years, at least 16 FIRs have been lodged against Azam Khan, spanning a wide range of criminal allegations.(IANS)