The Bhim Army chief and the President of Azad Samaj Party, Chandrashekhar Azad, took to Twitter to claim that his convoy was fired upon while he was rallying in Uttar Pradesh. Taking to Twitter, Azad said that that opposition parties were ‘desperate’ after his candidate had landed up in Bulandshahr, and hence, a ‘cowardly act’ of his convoy being fired upon was carried out.
बुलन्दशहर के चुनाव में हमारे प्रत्याशी उतारने से विपक्षी पार्टीयां घबरा गई है और आज की रैली ने इनकी नींद उड़ा दी है जिसकी वजह से अभी कायरतापूर्ण तरीके से मेरे काफिले पर गोलियां चलाई गई है। यह इनकी हार की हताशा को दिखाता है ये चाहते है कि माहौल खराब हो लेकिन हम ऐसा नही होने देंगे।
— Chandra Shekhar Aazad (@BhimArmyChief) October 25, 2020
“Opposition parties have been terrified due to our candidate landing in Bulandshahr elections and today’s rally has given rendered them sleepless, due to which my convoy has been fired in a cowardly manner. This shows the desperation of their defeat, they want the atmosphere to be bad but we will not let it happen”, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad tweeted.
While Azad had a different take on the matter, and him pointing towards “opposition parties” led to several individuals asking for Z+ security for him, what Azad failed to mention was that during this rally, the scuffle was actually between his men and leaders of the AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen) led by Asaduddin Owaisi.
The Bulandshahr police soon came out with a clarification that while Azad had claimed that his convoy had been fired upon, no evidence of this had been found. The police further clarified that a ruckus had broken out between members of the Azad Samaj Party and AIMIM.
There are reports in media about shots being fired at Azad Samaj Party’s Chandrashekhar Azad, occurrence of the incident has not been established. A ruckus erupted b/w workers of Azad Samaj Party & AIMIM y’day, if a complaint is filed we’ll register case: Bulandshahr SSP SK Singh pic.twitter.com/vWpI51uEcm
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 26, 2020
Moments later, it was reported that two separate FIRs had been filed in the case, one against unknown persons on the complaint of ‘firing’ against Azad’s convoy and the other, based on a complaint of AIMIM leader Dilshad Ahmad who also alleged that he was attacked.
Bulandhshahr: FIR registered against unnamed accused, in connection with firing at Azad Samaj Party’s Chandrashekhar Azad. Another FIR registered, based on a complaint of AIMIM leader Dilshad Ahmad that he was attacked. https://t.co/U2afPMGE5A
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 26, 2020
While Chandrashekhar Azad was more circumspect in naming AIMIM, lest it damages his ‘Jai Meem, Jai Bheem’ trope, AIMIM supporters and the AIMIM leader Dilshad Amhad did not extend the same courtesy to Chandrashekhar Azad or his party members. A video was shared widely by AIMIM supporters where Dilshad Ahmad, in a dishevelled state, narrated how he was allegedly attacked by members of Azad’s party.
शर्मनाक!@AzadSamajParty_ के गुंडों ने @aimim_national के प्रत्याशी पर बुलन्दशहर में कायरतापूर्ण जानलेवा हमला किया और 5 राउंड फ़ायरिंग की।@BhimArmyChief जो तुम कर रहे हो उसे राजनीति नहीं गुंडागर्दी कहते हैं।#दिलशाद_अहमद_को_सुरक्षा_दो@Nagrik18
— NAFEESAHMAD_AIMIM (@NAFEESAHMAD__) October 25, 2020
pic.twitter.com/OK2NdxDbHq
The AIMIM supporter, Nafees Ahmad and several others condemned Chandrashekhar Azad and his the members of his party and organisation for allegedly attacking Dilshad Ahmad. They even went on to say that what Azad was doing was hooliganism and not politics.
Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are due to be held in 2022 but political parties have already started circling the state. An example of that was seen in Hathras, where the unfortunate death of a Dalit girl was politicised to such an extent, that the truth got lost in the cacophony. In fact, 4 members of Chandrashekhar Azad’s party were held camping at the victim’s house posing to be family members, allegedly, to coach the family as to what needed to be said.
Despite the despicable politics and the ‘Jai Meem, Jai Bheem’ trope that is peddled by the likes of Azad and Asaduddin Owaisi, it is rather evident from this incident at Bulandshahr that this mythical unity that some Dalit and Muslim leaders peddle, simply to divide Hindus is just that – mythical at best, with cracks appearing at the first sign of trouble.
