PRAYAGRAJ, Aug. 21 -- The Allahabad high court on Wednesday stayed the conviction of Abbas Ansari, son of the late gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, in a 2022 hate speech case. Justice Sameer Jain stayed the May 31 order of the MP-MLA court, Mau, which had convicted Abbas under sections 153-A (promoting enmity between groups) and 189 (threatening a public servant) of the IPC and sentenced him to two years' rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs.2,000. Following the conviction, Abbas had lost his membership of the UP assembly. Now, according to his counsel, advocate Upendra Upadhyay, the high court's order staying the conviction will restore Abbas Ansari's assembly membership. He was elected from the Mau constituency on a Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) ticket in 2022. Abbas had earlier challenged the conviction before the sessions court, which on July 5 rejected his plea for a stay. He then moved the high court for relief. The case pertained to a speech made during the 2022 assembly elections, in which Abbas allegedly targeted a government officer. His remarks, captured on video, had gone viral on social media, leading to the case. It may be recalled that the CJM MP-MLA court, Mau, had convicted Abbas Ansari and sentenced him to two years of imprisonment in a 2022 hate speech case. The order was passed on May 31, 2025. His election agent, Mansoor Ansari, who was present on the stage during the rally, was also convicted and sentenced to six months in jail....