 "Bhim Army chief, Chandrashekhar Azad")
Police have recovered the car used in the attack on Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad, who was discharged from hospital on Thursday, a day after he was shot at by unidentified assailants in Deoband.
The police are also investigating a death threat issued to the Dalit leader on Facebook, warning that "he will not survive next time".
After he was discharged from the Saharanpur district hospital, the 36-year-old Bhim Army chief said he is feeling better and his blood pressure is stable.
"I am taking medicine for the pain and hope that I will be fine in the next two-three days," he said.
Earlier, in a note posted on Twitter, Aazad demanded Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's resignation, claiming his government is providing protection to criminals on the basis of caste and religion.
A bullet grazed the abdomen of Aazad, who is also the president of the Azad Samaj Party, when unidentified assailants fired "four shots" at his SUV in Saharanpur's Deoband on Wednesday evening. He had gone there to attend a ritual at a supporter's home.
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The car used by Aazad's attackers was seized from Miragpur village in Saharanpur late on Wednesday night. Its number plate showed it is registered in Haryana, the police said.
On a complaint lodged by Aazad's aide Manish Kumar, an FIR has been registered in connection with the attack under Section 307 (attempt to murder) and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) Act at the Deoband police station, they said.
Taking note of a death threat issued by a Facebook page called 'Kshatriya of Amethi' to Aazad days before the attack, the Amethi police have registered a case at the Gauriganj police station.
The police have taken cognisance of the post on Facebook page 'Kshatriya of Amethi' and registered a case against unidentified persons under Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and relevant provisions of the IT Act, said Mayank Dwivedi, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gauriganj.
A post shared five days ago on the page stated that Aazad would be killed by the Thakurs of Amethi at a road crossing in broad daylight.
Another post shared on the page on Thursday said Aazad was shot in the waist but "he will not survive next time". Aazad is a very clever man, he needs security and a bulletproof vehicle and jacket, it said.
It also warned that there will be a big movement if any innocent Rajput is framed for the attack.
In his note on Twitter, Aazad alleged the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh is worsening and "government-backed" criminals are in high spirits.
"My 56-inch chest is real, not fake. The fatal attack on me is a failure of the government because the security of the people of the state is the responsibility of the government and I am also a responsible citizen of the state," he said.
The chief minister should take moral responsibility for protecting criminals and resign immediately, he added.
Aazad said what happened with him could happen to the chief of any other political party or their supporters.
"There are two reasons for this. Firstly, the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh is getting worse and secondly, the government is providing protection to criminals on the basis of caste and religion. Due to this, the government-backed criminals are in high spirits. Today, they neither fear the law nor the police," he charged.
In Lucknow, Bhim Army and Azad Samaj Party activists handed over to a government official a memorandum addressed to the governor demanding that Aazad's security be stepped up.
Some supporters of the Bhim Army chief also raised slogans against the attack at Parivartan Chowk in Lucknow and were later taken into custody by police.
Azad Samaj Party's media in-charge Ajay Gautam told PTI that memorandums demanding Z-plus security for Aazad will be submitted to President Droupadi Murmu and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Following the attack on Wednesday, Aazad, who hails from Ghadkhauli village in Saharanpur, was taken to a community health centre and later shifted to the district hospital.
In a video message on Wednesday night, he appealed to his supporters to remain calm and said he would keep fighting constitutionally.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
