Lucknow:
Uttar Pradesh Assembly today granted a week more to a private channel to respond to summons in connection with airing of a “sting operation” allegedly involving state cabinet minister Azam Khan in connection 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.
Speaking on the matter, Khan said that he was pained and was ready to resign as the minister. He also displayed his “resignation letter” in the House.
The private Hindi channel, which had been asked by the Assembly to present its officials today to submit their response, had filed an application seeking more time to reply to the summons.
The channel had claimed that it received the notice on February 24. Following this, Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey fixed March 4 as the next date.
In the letter read by Principal Secretary Vidhan Sabhha Pradeep Dubey, the channel also sought the report of the inquiry committee.
After Khan had objected to the airing of the clip, a seven-member panel headed by Satish Kumar Nigam had looked into the matter. It submitted its report to the House on February 16, concluding that the private channel had sought to put Khan in the dock without “adequate evidence” and gave him a clean chit.
Khan today found support from the opposition, barring BJP. Leader of the Opposition Swami Prasad Maurya of BSP said he realises the pain of Khan. The BJP members later came into the well after which the house was ajdourned for 15 minutes.
UP Assembly had summoned officials of the channel to give their response after Khan had objected to airing of the “sting operation” in connection with the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.
During discussion, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and LoP Swami Prasad Maurya (BSP) had accused the channel of “character assassination”.
Before deciding on recommendations of Nigam committee report, members suggested summoning the officials of the channel whih was approved by voice vote.
