LUCKNOW: Dalit leader Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan was shot at by unidentified men in the Saharanpur district of western Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.
The Bhim Army chief and the national president of Azad Samaj Party-Kanshi Ram was immediately rushed to the nearby community health centre (CHC) and later to a hospital.
As per the police sources, Azad was in Saharanpur to attend a ritual at a supporter's place. Azad was attacked when he left the spot in his Toyota Fortuner.
The police sources claimed that the attackers were car-borne and the car had a Haryana licence plate. They opened fire at Azad and a bullet brushed past him.
Saharanpur SSP, Dr Vipin Tada said, "A bullet grazed his stomach. However, he is stable and out of danger. He was taken to a CHC for immediate medical attention and the efforts to nab the attackers are on. The police will investigate the matter and will take the strictest action against the culprits."
Talking to media from the hospital, the Bhim Army chief said that there were five passengers in his car when he was attacked.
Azad’s younger brother was driving the car. Other vehicles of Azad’s convoy weren’t immediately close to his car. "We took a U-turn as the attackers fired on us. They rushed towards Saharanpur. One of my accomplices, who was in the vehicle, sustained a bullet injury. His hands were bloody. I don’t remember well but my people identified them [attackers]," he said and added, “I immediately called up Saharanpur SSP to inform about the attack," said Azad.
The attackers had arrived in a white Maruti Swift Dzire with a Haryana licence plate and fired four rounds at Chandrashekhar Azad, leaving him injured, said the sources. Meanwhile, Bhim Army in a statement said the attack on Chandrashekhar Azad was a "cowardly act to stop the Bahujan Mission Movement."
Condemning the attack on Azad, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took to twitter and said that if public representatives were not safe under the BJP rule in Uttar Pradesh, what will happen to commoners. "Jungle Raj in UP," he posted.
सहारनपुर के देवबंद में आज़ाद सामाज पार्टी के राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री चन्द्रशेखर आज़ाद पर सत्ता संरक्षित अपराधियों के द्वारा जानलेवा हमला घोर निंदनीय एवं कायरतापूर्ण कृत्य है।
बीजेपी राज में जब जनप्रतिनिधि ही सुरक्षित नहीं तो आम जनता का क्या होगा?
यूपी में जंगलराज!