‘Assault on me orchestrated by govt supported criminals’

LUCKNOW: Bhim Army founder and Dalit leader Chandrashekhar Aazad, commonly known as ‘Ravan,’ was targeted in an attack on Wednesday in Deoband, Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh said that the assault was orchestrated by “government-supported criminals” and described it as a “conspiracy to eliminate the opposition” in the state.

Chandrashekhar, a prominent Dalit leader, further criticised the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh and called for the resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

“This attack on me is not an isolated incident but reflective of the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh. It is a conspiracy to silence the opposition voices. I hold the government responsible for supporting criminals who carry out such acts,” he told select media.

He also expressed concern that similar attacks could occur against other political leaders and their supporters.

Chandrashekhar Azad, appealing for calm, has reassured his supporters that he will continue his fight within the bounds of the Constitution. While recuperating in the hospital, he expressed gratitude for the love and blessings he has received from millions of people.

The incident occurred as he was returning home after attending a religious function at a party worker’s residence.

In a significant breakthrough, police have recovered the vehicle used in the attack. The police located a Swift hatchback in Saharanpur’s Miragpur village, with the car’s number plate indicating it was registered in Haryana.

Surveillance cameras played a crucial role in identifying the four individuals who drove the vehicle to the location where it was discovered. However, these suspects have since switched off their phones to evade capture, making their whereabouts unknown. As part of the investigation, police have detained four individuals residing in the house where the vehicle was parked and are currently questioning them for leads.

During the attack, two bullets were fired at Chandrashekhar Azad’s car. The first bullet grazed his waist after penetrating the seat, while the second narrowly missed him, hitting the back door. Chandrashekhar was discharged from the hospital on Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, Ajay Gautam, the founder member and media in-charge of the Azad Samaj Party, announced plans to send a memorandum to the President of India, as well as the Chief Minister and Governor of Uttar Pradesh, demanding Z-plus security for their leader.

The vehicle used by the attackers of Dalit leader and Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad was recovered from a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district and police in Amethi district registered a case under Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC.