NEW DELHI, APR 30
The Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from the Sambhal Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, Zia ur Rehman Barq, was booked on Monday for allegedly making objectionable comments during his campaign and seeking votes in the name of the “sacrifice” of gangsters-turned-politicians Mohammad Shahabuddin, Mukhtar Ansari and Atiq Ahmed. Zia ur Rehman, the grandson of the late former MP Shafiqur Rehman Barq, made the alleged statement on Sunday while meeting with people at Chaman Sarai locality in Sambhal. He also reportedly said senior SP leader Azam Khan and his entire family had been behind bars in the speech, the video of which has been circulating on social media.
The case against Zia Ur Rehman, the MLA from Kundarki Assembly seat in the neighbouring Moradabad district, and five other unidentified people was lodged at the Kotwali police station. The police alleged that Zia Ur Rehman, in his speech, described “heinous criminals who belong to a particular caste as heroes” and presented them in such a way that there could be a breach of public peace. Additional Superintendent of Police (Sambhal) Shrish Chandra said they are examining the video of Zia Ur Rehman’s speech. A police officer said the accused had been booked under IPC sections 171- C (undue influence at elections), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion and race) and 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant).
In the video, Zia Ur Rehman Barq was purportedly heard saying, “… Jo Qurbani. Jo Pareshani BJP key time par hui hai. Who apko jada bataney ki jarurat nahi hai. Chahey Azam khan ko jail mai dal kar. Unkey purey pariwar ko jail mai dal kar kiya gaya hai. Chahey Hamarey Sahabuddin Sahab ho, Atiq Ahmed Sahab ho, Mukhtar Ansari sahab ho, jo unkey saat ..… hua hai who koi bhul nahi sakta. Meri gujaris hai aap sab logo sey, kasam hai aap logo ko . Ki unki Qurbani ko jaya mat honay dey. Is Bharatiya janta party ka supra saaf hokar rahega. (There is no need to remind you of the sacrifices and challenges faced during the BJP’s tenure. 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 pledge not to let their sacrifices be forgotten. The BJP must be defeated in the elections).” He was also purportedly heard saying,”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.”
Sambhal is among the ten seats in Uttar Pradesh going to polls in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 on May 7. Zia Ur Rehman Barq’s grandfather, Shafiqur Rehman Barq, contested the 2019 general election from the Sambhal constituency on an SP ticket.
He secured 658,006 votes, which accounted for 55.58 per cent of the total votes cast. His closest rival was the BJP’s Parameshvar Lal Saini, who received 483,180 votes, constituting 40.82 per cent of the total votes polled.
