Sultanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 1 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Sunday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central and Uttar Pradesh governments over the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) action against senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, terming it the "height of tyranny."
Expressing grave concern over Khan being apprehended immediately after being granted relief by the judiciary, Sanjay Singh accused the authorities of weaponising central agencies without following legal due process.
"What happened with Azam Khan is the height of tyranny and oppression. An 80-year-old individual has been kept in prison for such a long period. After numerous adjournments, the High Court finally granted him bail; yet, the moment he was released, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) immediately arrested him," Sanjay Singh said.
Directly questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the adherence to guidelines laid down by the apex court, the AAP parliamentarian alleged that basic legal protocols were flouted.
"I want to ask PM Modi: did the ED follow any due process? The Supreme Court has clearly stated that the reasons for an arrest must be disclosed, and that individuals must be issued a notice before being questioned. You made no effort to get to the bottom of the matter; instead, you simply arrested him and threw him into jail," Singh said.
Further hitting out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Singh accused the state administration of running a vendetta campaign against the veteran Samajwadi Party leader.
"Yogi Adityanath has employed the same tactic: every time bail was granted, he would be thrown back into prison—over and over again. When these cases reach higher courts, it becomes clear that there is no evidence against him," Singh added. (ANI)
On Saturday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) apprehended Samajwadi Party leader Mohammad Azam Khan in connection with its ongoing money-laundering investigation relating to the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust and Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, officials said.
Azam Khan was apprehended soon after he was released from Rampur Jail.
Officials said that a team from the ED's Lucknow zonal office reached Rampur district jail before his release and apprehended him soon after he came out of the jail premises.
On October 13, the agency had also questioned Azam Khan in Rampur Jail in the same case. He was questioned in the barrack where the leader was lodged. (ANI)
"Height of tyranny and oppression": AAP's Sanjay Singh slams ED action against SP leader Azam Khan
