Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday welcomed veteran leader Azam Khan’s release from Sitapur jail, announcing that all “false” cases against him would be withdrawn once the SP comes to power in Uttar Pradesh.

Khan, a former Cabinet minister and a founding member of the SP, was granted bail after nearly two years of incarceration.

Speaking to reporters, Yadav praised Khan’s contribution to the socialist movement and his key role in fighting the BJP. He highlighted that just as the BJP government withdrew cases against its own leaders after assuming power in Uttar Pradesh, a Samajwadi Party government would similarly provide relief to Khan and others facing fabricated charges, including journalists targeted with false cases.

Yadav thanked the judiciary for granting bail to Khan, stating that justice had finally been served and expressing hope that no false cases would remain in the future.

He also addressed the state government’s recent decision to remove caste references from police records, public notices, and public events, suggesting that the BJP feared the unification of PDA communities—Pichda, Dalit, and minorities.

Further, Yadav raised concerns over alleged caste-based discrimination, referring to an incident in Kannauj where BJP workers reportedly washed a temple with holy Ganga water after his visit, questioning the saffron party’s intentions. He emphasized the importance of ending caste-based bias in public and religious spaces.