Chandrashekar Azad arrested by UP police

The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force today(on Thursday) , dressed in plain clothes, arrested the Dalit rights activist and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan, who is a key accused in the Saharanpur violence in Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh.

The 30 year–old lawyer, Chandrasekhar has been in the media glare since May when caste-related clashes broke out between the Dalit and the upper-caste Thakur communities in Saharanpur village in Uttar Pradesh. He is believed to be the mastermind behind the May 9 attack when a police chowki was set on fire and several vehicles were torched by an angry mob.

Violence against Dalits peaks in UP

Chandrashekar had said that he is willing to surrender if 37 ‘innocent’ dalits are released on bail. “I feel that the UP government has failed to address the issues of the Dalits. The Chief Minister has lost control over the police and administration.There have been more cases of atrocities against the Dalits in the past two-and-a-half months as compared to last one year.”

He had also declared famously that India is not threatened by Muslims but by Brahminism.

Two other members of the Bhim army have been also arrested on Wednesday. More than 20,000 strong supporters of the Bhim Army protested caste atrocities and the government’s inaction in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.