The Evening Wrap: Azam Khan sentenced to three years in prison in 2019 hate speech case

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and 10-term MLA from Rampur, Azam Khan, was on Thursday sentenced to three years in jail by an MP-MLA court in Rampur, along with a fine of ₹2,000, in a hate speech case filed against him in 2019 over comments made against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The case was registered against Mr. Khan for making provocative remarks against Mr. Adityanath and then District Magistrate of Rampur, Aunjaneya Kumar Singh at Rampur on April 9, 2019 during the Lok Sabha election campaign. The case was filed under Section 125 of the Representation of the People’s Act, 1951 along with Sections 505 (1) and 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code. Mr. Khan was the SP’s candidate from the Rampur parliamentary segment during the 2019 general elections. With the sentencing, Mr. Khan is likely to be disqualified by the Uttar Pradesh Assembly to which he was elected in the 2022 Assembly polls. Mr. Khan is facing over seven dozen cases on charges related to theft, corruption and other issues. Mr. Khan, a founding member of the SP, is considered the tallest Muslim face in the party, and has served as a Minister in all the governments headed by the late Mulayam Singh Yadav and by Akhilesh Yadav. He was elected as MLA for the first time in 1980 and has also served as a member of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in his political career spanning over four decades. Why not Ambedkar’s picture on currency notes, asks Manish Tewari A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sought printing images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency, Congress MP Manish Tewari on Thursday asked why not Bhimrao Ambedkar’s photo on a new series of notes. The AAP national convener’s demand drew sharp reactions from the Congress with its Punjab unit chief Amrinder Singh Raja accusing Kejriwal of resorting to “competitive Hindutva” to outwit the BJP in poll-bound Gujarat. Reacting to Kejriwal’s statement, Tewari, a Congress MP from Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib, tweeted, “Why not Dr Babasahib Ambedkar’s photograph on new series of currency notes? On one side the great Mahatma (Gandhi) the other side Dr (B R) Ambedkar.” “Non-violence, Constitutionalism and egalitarianism fusing in a unique union that would sum up the modern Indian genius perfectly,” he said in the tweet. During a media briefing on Wednesday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes. “Despite trying our best, sometimes our efforts do not fructify if the gods and goddesses are not blessing us. I appeal to PM (Modi) to have images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on our currency (notes). If there is an image of Lakshmi-Ganesha on our currency (notes), our country will prosper. I will write to (the) prime minister in a day or two on this,” he said. BCCI implements equal match fees for both men and women cricketers BCCI Honorary Secretary Jay Shah, on Thursday said the Indian women cricketers will be paid the same fee as their male counterparts. As per the announcement made on Twitter, both men and women cricketers will be paid ₹15 lakh for Tests, ₹6 lakh for one-day internationals and ₹3 lakh for Twenty20 internationals. Shah said, “Pay equity was my commitment to our women cricketers and I thank the apex council for their support.” Shah said, “I am pleased to announce BCCI’s first step towards tackling discrimination. We are implementing pay equity policy for our contracted women cricketers. The match fee for both men and women cricketers will be same as we move into a new era of gender equality in Indian cricket.” Terming it as a major victory for women cricketers across the nation, NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma said that this is a historic decision for women cricketers in India. She also said that at last the voice of women cricketers is being heard. Women cricketers earning the same match fee as their male counterparts heralds a new era of equal opportunities and is a significant advancement towards achieving gender equality, the NCW said in a statement. The commission said it hopes that this decision will inspire young talents to pursue their passion for the sport and that other sports organisations would follow the example established by the BCCI. Centre orders NIA probe into Coimbatore car blast The Central government on Thursday ordered a National Investigation Agency probe into the October 23, 2022, Coimbatore LPG cylinder explosion in a car, considering the possibility of cross-state developments and the role of international elements in the investigation. The Counter-Terrorism and Counter Radicalization (CTCR) division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued the order a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin recommended an NIA probe in the case. A top government official said that the “NIA will take over the case very soon”. Stalin, in a recommendation letter to the MHA had requested on Wednesday to transfer the investigation of the case related to the car cylinder explosion in the Ukkadam area in Coimbatore to the NIA and directed police to ensure security in Coimbatore. Stalin’s recommendation followed a detailed review meeting held on Wednesday at the Head Office under the leadership of the Chief Minister regarding the ongoing investigation of the case. Tamil Nadu Police so far has arrested six people in connection with the case, and have invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Those arrested are learnt to be associates of Jameesha Mubin, who was charred to death in suspicious circumstances after an LPG cylinder inside a Maruti 800 he was driving exploded near a temple in Coimbatore around 4 am on October 23. According to police, Mubin, 25, an engineering graduate, has been previously questioned by the NIA in 2019 for alleged terror links. His name is mentioned as the primary accused in the case. Five people arrested on Monday night were Mohammad Thalka, 25, Mohammad Asarudheen, 25, Muhammad Riyaz, 27, Feroz Ismail, 27, and Mohammad Navaz Ismail, 27. However, the sixth person, identified as Afsar Khan, a relative of the deceased, was arrested earlier on Thursday. Khan is the cousin of the deceased. He was picked two days before by the special investigation team. On Wednesday noon, police officials also conducted searches on Khan's residence and took his laptop. Since the explosion occurred in Ukkadam, a communally sensitive area, the state’s top police officers, including Director General of Police (DGP) Sylendra Babu and Additional DGP (law and order) Thamarai Kannan, rushed to the spot. The DGP on Sunday said the police found materials used to make explosives in Mubin's house in Ukkadam. They seized 75 kgs of potassium nitrate, charcoal, aluminium powder and sulphur which can be used to make explosives. In brief The manufacturing facility for C-295 transport aircraft by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) in consortium with, and technology transfer from, Airbus will be set up at Vadodara in Gujarat and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the plant on October 30. The 56 C-295 aircraft contracted will replace the legacy Avro aircraft in service with the Indian Air Force. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 27 OCTOBER 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Azam Khan sentenced to three years in prison in 2019 hate speech case Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and 10-term MLA from Rampur, [Azam Khan]( was on Thursday [sentenced to three years in jail by an MP-MLA court in Rampur]( along with a fine of ₹2,000, in a [hate speech]( case filed against him in 2019 over comments made against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The case was registered against Mr. Khan for making provocative remarks against Mr. Adityanath and then District Magistrate of Rampur, Aunjaneya Kumar Singh at Rampur on April 9, 2019 during the Lok Sabha election campaign. The case was filed under Section 125 of the Representation of the People’s Act, 1951 along with Sections 505 (1) and 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code. Mr. Khan was the SP’s candidate from the Rampur parliamentary segment during the 2019 general elections. With the sentencing, Mr. Khan is likely to be disqualified by the Uttar Pradesh Assembly to which he was elected in the 2022 Assembly polls. Mr. Khan is facing over seven dozen cases on charges related to theft, corruption and other issues. Mr. Khan, a founding member of the SP, is considered the tallest Muslim face in the party, and has served as a Minister in all the governments headed by the late Mulayam Singh Yadav and by Akhilesh Yadav. He was elected as MLA for the first time in 1980 and has also served as a member of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in his political career spanning over four decades. Why not Ambedkar’s picture on currency notes, asks Manish Tewari A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sought printing images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency, Congress MP Manish Tewari on Thursday [asked why not Bhimrao Ambedkar’s photo on a new series of notes](. The AAP national convener’s demand drew sharp reactions from the Congress with its Punjab unit chief Amrinder Singh Raja accusing Kejriwal of resorting to “competitive Hindutva” to outwit the BJP in poll-bound Gujarat. Reacting to Kejriwal’s statement, Tewari, a Congress MP from Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib, tweeted, “Why not Dr Babasahib Ambedkar’s photograph on new series of currency notes? On one side the great Mahatma (Gandhi) the other side Dr (B R) Ambedkar.” “Non-violence, Constitutionalism and egalitarianism fusing in a unique union that would sum up the modern Indian genius perfectly,” he said in the tweet. During a media briefing on Wednesday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes. “Despite trying our best, sometimes our efforts do not fructify if the gods and goddesses are not blessing us. I appeal to PM (Modi) to have images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on our currency (notes). If there is an image of Lakshmi-Ganesha on our currency (notes), our country will prosper. I will write to (the) prime minister in a day or two on this,” he said. BCCI implements equal match fees for both men and women cricketers  BCCI Honorary Secretary Jay Shah, on Thursday said the [Indian women cricketers will be paid the same fee as their male counterparts](. As per the announcement made on Twitter, both men and women cricketers will be paid ₹15 lakh for Tests, ₹6 lakh for one-day internationals and ₹3 lakh for Twenty20 internationals. Shah said, “Pay equity was my commitment to our women cricketers and I thank the apex council for their support.” Shah said, “I am pleased to announce BCCI’s first step towards tackling discrimination. We are implementing pay equity policy for our contracted women cricketers. The match fee for both men and women cricketers will be same as we move into a new era of gender equality in Indian cricket.” [Indian players celebrate after defeating Sri Lanka in the finals of the 2022 Women’s Asia Cup in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Photo: Twitter/@robbieuthappa ] Terming it as a major victory for women cricketers across the nation, NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma said that this is a historic decision for women cricketers in India. She also said that at last the voice of women cricketers is being heard. Women cricketers earning the same match fee as their male counterparts heralds a new era of equal opportunities and is a significant advancement towards achieving gender equality, the NCW said in a statement. The commission said it hopes that this decision will inspire young talents to pursue their passion for the sport and that other sports organisations would follow the example established by the BCCI. Centre orders NIA probe into Coimbatore car blast The Central government on Thursday [ordered a National Investigation Agency probe]( into the October 23, 2022, Coimbatore LPG cylinder explosion in a car, considering the possibility of cross-state developments and the role of international elements in the investigation. [Police check a vehicle in Coimbatore on October 27, 2022 in the wake of the October 23, 2022 car blast in front of a temple in the city. ] The Counter-Terrorism and Counter Radicalization (CTCR) division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued the order a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin recommended an NIA probe in the case. A top government official said that the “NIA will take over the case very soon”. Stalin, in a recommendation letter to the MHA had requested on Wednesday to transfer the investigation of the case related to the car cylinder explosion in the Ukkadam area in Coimbatore to the NIA and directed police to ensure security in Coimbatore. Stalin’s recommendation followed a detailed review meeting held on Wednesday at the Head Office under the leadership of the Chief Minister regarding the ongoing investigation of the case. Tamil Nadu Police so far has arrested six people in connection with the case, and have invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Those arrested are learnt to be associates of Jameesha Mubin, who was charred to death in suspicious circumstances after an LPG cylinder inside a Maruti 800 he was driving exploded near a temple in Coimbatore around 4 am on October 23. According to police, Mubin, 25, an engineering graduate, has been previously questioned by the NIA in 2019 for alleged terror links. His name is mentioned as the primary accused in the case. Five people arrested on Monday night were Mohammad Thalka, 25, Mohammad Asarudheen, 25, Muhammad Riyaz, 27, Feroz Ismail, 27, and Mohammad Navaz Ismail, 27. However, the sixth person, identified as Afsar Khan, a relative of the deceased, was arrested earlier on Thursday. Khan is the cousin of the deceased. He was picked two days before by the special investigation team. On Wednesday noon, police officials also conducted searches on Khan's residence and took his laptop. Since the explosion occurred in Ukkadam, a communally sensitive area, the state’s top police officers, including Director General of Police (DGP) Sylendra Babu and Additional DGP (law and order) Thamarai Kannan, rushed to the spot. The DGP on Sunday said the police found materials used to make explosives in Mubin's house in Ukkadam. They seized 75 kgs of potassium nitrate, charcoal, aluminium powder and sulphur which can be used to make explosives. In brief The manufacturing facility for C-295 transport aircraft by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) in consortium with, and technology transfer from, Airbus will be set up at Vadodara in Gujarat and [Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the plant]( on October 30. The 56 C-295 aircraft contracted will replace the legacy Avro aircraft in service with the Indian Air Force. 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