Chandrashekhar Azad, the chief of the Bhim Army, was hit by a bullet shell on his back during an attack on his convoy in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur on Wednesday. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The Bhim Army chief was in Saharanpur to attend a ritual at a supporter’s home. The attack occurred when Azad left the spot in his Toyota Fortuner. Photos showed a damaged vehicle with bullet marks on both the seat and the door.
“The convoy of Chandrashekhar Azad was fired at by a few car-borne armed men. A bullet brushed past him. He is alright and has been taken to CHC for medical treatment. Police is investigating the matter,” SSP Dr Vipin Tada told ANI.
Azad told news agency ANI that there were five people inside the car, including his younger brother, when they were attacked.
“I don’t remember well but my people identified them [attackers],” he said.
The attackers arrived in a white Maruti Swift Dzire with a Haryana license plate and fired four rounds at Chandrashekhar Azad, leaving him injured. However, his injuries are not serious.
The Bhim Army in a statement said the attack on Chandrashekhar Azad was a “cowardly act to stop the Bahujan Mission Movement” and demanded strict action against those involved.
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!
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) June 28, 2023
Condemning the attack on Azad, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said if public representatives are not safe under the BJP rule in Uttar Pradesh, what will happen to commoners. “Jungle Raj in UP,” he said.