Dalit activist and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Thursday described the attack in which he was injured as “failure of the State government”. He also charged that the U.P. government has been providing “protection to criminals on the basis of caste and religion”.
The Dalit leader was shot at by unidentified assailants in the Deoband area of Saharanpur district on Wednesday evening when he was returning from a terahvin (mourning) ritual at a supporter’s home. One bullet grazed his abdomen. He was discharged from hospital on Thursday evening after treatment.
“An incident like the one that occurred yesterday can happen to any leader of other political parties and their supporters in the future. This is because, firstly, law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh is getting worse and secondly, the government is providing protection to the criminals on the basis of caste and religion. Such elements are unrestrained. They neither fear the law nor the police,” said Mr. Azad, while expressing gratitude to leaders and well-wishers for condemning the attack.
“The attack on me is the failure of the government as security of the people is the responsibility of the government and I am also a responsible citizen. Accepting moral responsibility for providing protection to criminals, the Chief Minister should resign with immediate effect,” he said.
Mr. Azad added that India’s democratic values and Constitution are in danger and asked if “government-backed” criminals can roam freely and try to “silence” a politician like him, “how much oppression and atrocities have been committed on Dalit, Backward, tribal and minority communities in U.P”. “You can’t even imagine what’s going on,” he stated.
Mr. Azad reminded people of his Dalit identity saying some have forgotten that members of “Bahujan Samaj are working to protect this country by sacrificing their lives on the border without fear”. “I am also a part of the same society. That’s why you can neither make Chandrashekhar bow down nor scare him with bullets and guns. My 56-inch chest is real not fake,” he said.
Mr. Azad also heads the Azad Samaj Party (ASP) which he launched in 2020. The party has failed to taste any electoral success till now but enjoys support among Dalit voters in Western U.P.
The U.P. Police recovered the vehicle allegedly used in the attack from Miragpur village in Saharanpur late on Wednesday. The number plate of the car showed it was registered in Haryana. The police also detained a few people for questioning.
After the attack, a controversial Facebook page named ‘Kshatriya of Amethi’ had allegedly posted the message that “next time he will not survive”. It went viral on social media. Five days ago, a post on the same Facebook page had said “Chandra Shekhar Ravan will be killed by Thakurs of Amethi, that too in the middle of an intersection”.
