The Bhim Army and AIMIM have filed FIRs regarding an alleged attack on them. On late Sunday night, the convoy of Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar was allegedly fired upon.
The two FIRs have been registered at the Kotwali police station. One has been filed by Chandrapal Singh Gautam of Bhim Army against unnamed people, and The AIMIM candidate in Bulandshahr, Dilshad Ahmad, filed the other FIR. Ahmad has alleged that he was attacked by unidentified people and was demanded to withdraw from the electoral fray.
Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar had claimed that he was attacked by unnamed persons when he was returning after addressing a rally in Bulandshahr district.
On late Sunday night, Chandrashekhar Azad tweeted: “Opposition parties have been terrified of our candidate in Bulandshahr elections and today’s rally worried them, due to which my convoy was fired at in a cowardly manner. This shows their desperation… they want the atmosphere to be toxic but we will not let this happen.”
Azad is also the convener of the Azad Samaj Party. He stated that his convoy was shot at when members were campaigning for the upcoming by-election.
This occurrence comes days ahead of the November 3 Bulandshahr by-election.
Bulandshahr (SSP) Senior Superintendent of Police), Santosh Kumar Singh has denied an attack on the convoy of Chandra Shekhar.
The SSP said there was knowledge about a mutual conflict between workers affiliated to the candidates of AIMIM and Azad Samaj Party.
Reports about an attack on Chandra Shekhar’s convoy are yet to be confirmed, said the police official said reports.
Nafees Ahmad, the AIMIM supporter and many others censured Chandrashekhar Azad and the members of his party for allegedly attacking Dilshad Ahmad. They even went as far as to say that Azad is doing is hooliganism and not politics.
While Chandrashekhar Azad was more cautious and careful in naming AIMIM, AIMIM leaders and supporters did extend the same kind of courtesy to Chandrashekhar Azad. A video was largely shared by AIMIM supporters where Dilshad Ahmad spoke how he was allegedly attacked by members of Azad’s party.
The by-elections in Uttar Pradesh for seven seats, including the Bulandshahr one, mark the political debut of the Bhim Army which has, until now, remained a quasi-political outfit.
Haji Yamin was named by Chandra Shekhar as his party’s candidate for the Bulandshahr by poll and his by poll and his Azad Samaj Party is also contesting as many as 30 seats in Bihar under the Progressive Democratic Alliance (PDA) banner, which will be directed by the Jan Adhikar Party of Rajesh Ranjan a.k.a. Pappu Yadav.
Chandra Shekhar has been an aggressive critic of the Uttar Pradesh government over the alleged gang rape and torture of a Dalit woman in Hathras last month, and its history in protecting people from the marginalised communities.
