Daijiworld Media Network - Prayagraj
Prayagraj, Aug 20: In a significant legal reprieve for Abbas Ansari, Mau MLA and son of late gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday quashed his conviction in a 2022 hate speech case, effectively clearing the path for his reinstatement as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
Abbas had been convicted on May 31 by the MP-MLA Special Court in Mau, which sentenced him to two years in jail and imposed a fine of ?2,000 for an alleged inflammatory speech made during the 2022 Assembly elections. His election agent, Mansoor, was also convicted and sentenced to six months in prison, while Abbas’s younger brother Umar Ansari was acquitted in the same case.
The case stemmed from a speech Abbas delivered on March 3, 2022, during which he allegedly threatened that, under a potential Akhilesh Yadav-led government, officials would be held accountable before being transferred. A video of the speech went viral, prompting a complaint from Inspector Gangaram Bind and an FIR at Mau Kotwali police station. The Election Commission took note and launched proceedings against Abbas for violating the Model Code of Conduct.
Following his conviction, the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Secretariat invoked Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, resulting in the termination of Abbas's Assembly membership effective June 1. A recommendation for a by-election was also forwarded to the Election Commission.
After his appeal was rejected by the District Judge in Mau on July 5, Abbas approached the Allahabad High Court, seeking a stay on his sentence and restoration of his MLA status. The High Court, after reserving its verdict on July 30, ruled in Abbas's favour on August 20, stating that the lower court’s decision was flawed and unjustified.
Speaking after the ruling, Abbas’s counsel Upendra Upadhyay confirmed that the conviction has been stayed, and his client’s legislative membership will now be reinstated.
The verdict not only provides a legal win for Abbas Ansari but also carries political implications in Uttar Pradesh, where the legacy of the Ansari family continues to evoke sharp public and political reactions.