Hate speech: Mukhtar Ansari's son jailed for 2 years, to lose assembly membership

A court in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday found Mau Sadar MLA Abbas Ansari, the son of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, guilty in a 2022 hate speech case and sentenced him to two years of imprisonment. The court's order will lead to the termination of his assembly membership.

Abbas Ansari's brother, Mansar Ansari, was also convicted in the case and sentenced to six months in jail along with a fine of Rs 1,000. On the other hand, Abbas Ansari, who is from the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, a NDA ally, was imposed a fine of Rs 3,000.

An FIR was lodged against Abbas Ansari in March 2022 for allegedly threatening government officials with retaliation at a public rally in Mau district.

During the rally, held ahead of the Assembly polls, he had said, "I've told Akhilesh Yadav that no transfers or postings will happen for six months. First, 'hisab-kitab' (they will face consequences) will happen with them. Only then will their transfer certificates be stamped."

The court found that the statements constituted hate speech and criminal intimidation.

Legal provisions mandate the automatic disqualification of any sitting MLA upon receiving a sentence of two years or more. Therefore, following the court's verdict, Abbas Ansari will no longer remain a member of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

The Speaker of the Assembly is expected to issue a notification, officially terminating Ansari's membership effective today.