Chandrashekhar Azad, the chief of the Bhim Army, was shot in the abdomen by unknown shooters on Wednesday afternoon in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur. He was rushed to a hospital in Meerut, where he is undergoing treatment.
The shooting took place at around 2:30 pm when Azad was traveling in his car. The attackers fired several rounds at his car, hitting him in the abdomen. Azad's security guards returned fire, but the attackers managed to escape.
Azad is a Dalit rights activist and lawyer who has been critical of the state government's handling of the 2017 Saharanpur riots. He was arrested in 2017 and released on bail in 2019.
The shooting has sparked outrage among Dalit groups, who have called for a statewide bandh on Thursday. The police have launched a manhunt for the attackers.
Here are some of the details of the shooting:
- The shooting took place at around 2:30 pm in Deoband, Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh.
- Azad was traveling in his car with two of his security guards when the attackers opened fire.
- Azad was shot in the abdomen and was rushed to a hospital in Meerut.
- He is undergoing treatment and his condition is said to be stable.
- The attackers have not been identified yet.
- The police have launched a manhunt for the attackers.
The shooting has sparked outrage among Dalit groups:
- Dalit groups have called for a statewide bandh on Thursday.
- They have also demanded the arrest of the attackers and security for Azad.
- The state government has assured that Azad will be provided with security.
The shooting is a reminder of the dangers that Dalit activists face in India:
- Dalits are often targeted for violence by upper-caste groups.
- Azad is not the first Dalit leader to be attacked.
- In 2016, Jignesh Mevani, another Dalit leader, was attacked by a group of men in Gujarat.
- The government needs to do more to protect Dalit activists and ensure that they can work freely without fear of violence.
