Hate speech case: Disqualified MLA Abbas Ansari challenges 2-year sentence; hearing scheduled for Tuesday

VARANASI: Disqualified MLA Abbas Ansari's appeal against his sentencing in the 'Hisab Kitab' hate speech episode by the CJM (MP-MLA) court was filed before the session court of Mau district on Monday.Ansari's advocate, Daroga Singh, said that the appeal was moved before the sessions court on Monday, which transferred the case to the court of ADJ (MP-MLA) Rajiv Vats, where the hearing will take place on Tuesday. Through this appeal, Ansari challenged the May 31 CJM (MP-MLA) court decision of sentencing him to two years of imprisonment, he added.On the next day of sentencing him by the court, his membership from state assembly was terminated.Ansari was sentenced in a case of hate speech lodged against him on March 4, 2022, after his speech delivered at a meeting in the Paharpur area on March 3, 2022, went viral on social media. While contesting the 2022 assembly polls from the Mau Sadar seat as a Samajwadi Party-Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party alliance candidate, Ansari, in his Paharpur speech on March 3, 2022, stated, “After the formation of the SP-led govt, the officials would have to give ‘hisab-kitab’ (account) of their work of the past regime before getting transferred.

”Ansari won the election, but he went to jail following his arrest by the Prayagraj unit of the ED in a money laundering case in February 2023. He came out of jail in March last.The court, in its 48-page judgement, commented, “The accused has a criminal history, and several serious criminal records are also associated with his family members. The family of the accused, Abbas Ansari, has held the legislative assembly seat of Mau Sadar for nearly twenty years. During his election campaign, Abbas Ansari gave a speech from the stage threatening to settle scores with state govt officials after the elections, which could have disrupted communal harmony.

Therefore, it does not seem appropriate to give a lesser punishment to the accused.”