2019 LS polls: Azam Khan’s son alleges conspiracy behind EC banning his father from campaigning

The Election Commission on Monday evening barred SP leader Azam Khan and Union Minister & BJP leader Maneka Gandhi from from campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections for 48 and 72 hours respectively.

Azam Khan

Coming out in the defence of his father Azam Khan who has been banned from campaigning for 72 hours over objectionable remarks against Jaya Prada, son Abdullah said that the decision taken by the poll panel was one sided and alleged bias against a Muslim candidate was at play. Azam Khan is the only leader among the four who were banned from campaigning on Monday (including Maneka Gandhi, Yogi Adityanath and Mayawati), who did not receive a notice before being banned. Addressing a press conference, Abdullah added that his father did not make any unruly remarks against Jaya Prada and the ban imposed by the election commission had been unfair. Abdullah said that his father was not given a chance to defend his position over the remarks he had made. In a pointed attack at the centre, he said that a stern message had been sent out by the ruling party at the Centre to leaders like Mayawati and his father Azam. The Election Commission on Monday evening barred SP leader Azam Khan and Union Minister &  BJP leader Maneka Gandhi from from campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections for 48 and 72 hours respectively. Without taking names, Khan on Sunday had said at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur district that it took "you 17 years to understand her reality" but, "I could recognise it in 17 days that she wears a khaki underwear". The BJP has pitted actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada against Khan from the Rampur Lok Sabha seat. Khan was slapped on Monday with an FIR by the UP Police after the BJP mounted a sharp political attack comparing his "disgusting" comments to disrobing of Draupadi in Mahabharata. During the last Lok Sabha elections in 2014, the EC had imposed a ban on Khan from campaigning in Uttar Pradesh for his provocative speeches and had also lodged an FIR against him.