4 min readSaharanpur (up)Jun 29, 2023 02:18 AM IST
First published on: Jun 28, 2023 at 06:08 PM IST
BHIM ARMY leader Chandra Shekhar Aazad was injured when unidentified assailants opened fire on his vehicle in Deoband, in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday.
According to police, a bullet grazed Aazad’s abdomen, and he was rushed to a hospital in Deoband. He was later transferred to Saharanpur civil hospital for further treatment, and his condition is stated to be stable.
There were five people inside the car, including Azad and his younger brother, when they were attacked. (Special Arrangement)
In a video statement released by his party later, the Azad Samaj Party chief asked his supporters to maintain peace. “I appeal to my people that if you love me, please maintain peace. We will fight our case constitutionally. I am physically fit, nothing will happen to me. It is Eid tomorrow, people are excited about it,” he said from the hospital in Saharanpur.
Aazad was returning from Delhi to his home in Chhutmalpur town of Saharanpur, when he was attacked. There were five people in the vehicle with him, including his younger brother.
“Around 5 pm, police received information that some assailants had fired at Aazad’s vehicle in Deoband. We immediately reached the spot and saw that the bullet had grazed his stomach. Doctors say he is out of danger now,” said Dr Vipin Tada, Senior Superintendent of Police, Saharanpur.
Visuals showed the SUV with shattered windows and what appeared to be a bullet hole in the door on the passenger side. The seat where Aazad was sitting also had a bullet hole.
With no arrests so far, Tada said police will thoroughly investigate the sequence of events. “We will check CCTV footage and the forensic team will analyse the evidence. We will take all necessary actions as per the law,” he said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Aazad’s supporters from different parts of western Uttar Pradesh arrived at the Saharanpur hospital and protested against the police department. They demanded the arrest of the accused at the earliest.
“Such incidents are happening again and again with our leader. Why are the police not providing security? This is a clear risk of his life. We will not accept this. We will keep protesting until the accused are arrested,” said Amit Kasana, a supporter from Greater Noida.
SP (City) Abhimanyu Manglik, who arrived at the hospital, assured Aazad’s supporters that they were gathering evidence to arrest the accused. “I personally met Chandrashekhar Aazad, he is feeling better. I also spoke to the doctors, they said that his vitals are normal… most probably, he will be discharged tomorrow morning,” said Manglik.
The attack drew sharp reactions from across the political spectrum. Blaming “criminals protected by the powerful”, Samajwadi Party president and former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav called it a “highly condemnable and cowardly act”. “When people’s representatives are not safe under BJP rule, what will happen to the general public,” he tweeted, adding that there was “jungle raj” in the state.
Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said the attack “is a reflection of the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh”.
AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh tweeted: “There’s no end to the attacks on leaders in UP. The attack on Aazad, a young leader who has fought bravely for the underprivileged, in broad daylight reveals the reality of jungle raj in the state. Strict action should be taken against the attackers.”
According to police, the bullet grazed Azad's abdomen, and he was rushed to a hospital in Deoband. (ANI) 
There were five people inside the car, including Azad and his younger brother, when they were attacked. (Special Arrangement)
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