Dalit leader and Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad was injured when unidentified assailants opened fire on his car in Deoband on Wednesday, the police said.
Aazad (36) had gone to attend a terhavin ritual at a supporter's home Saharanpur district's Deoband, they said, adding the assailants fired multiple shots at his SUV when he was leaving.
"The assailants were in a car and opened fire on Azad's SUV from the right side. A bullet grazed his abdomen. He has been admitted to a hospital and his condition is stable," superintendent of police (city) Abimanyu Manglik said.
According to police, the vehicle used by the assailants carried a Haryana registration number.
"The borders of the district have been sealed and a massive operation to track the assailant and their vehicle has been launched," said Manglik.
The officer added the Saharanpur police has also reached out to its counterpart in adjoining districts to seek their support in the effort to nab the attackers.
Aazad heads the Aazad Samaj Party which he founded in March 2020.
The Samajwadi Party hit out at the state government over the incident, questioning the law and order situation under the BJP rule.
"The murderous attack on Chandrashekhar Azad, National President of Azad Samaj Party in Deoband, Saharanpur, by criminals protected by power is highly condemnable and cowardly act. When people's representatives are not safe under the BJP rule, then what will happen to the general public? Jungle Raj in UP!" SP president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav tweeted in Hindi.
Senior SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav tweeted the morale of criminals in the state is so high that they "have started breaking all their limits".
"The opposition in Uttar Pradesh is now the target of both the government and the criminals," he said in a tweet in Hindu.
He said the "deadly attack" on the Bhim Army chief is a commentary on the law and order situation in the state. "Wake up government!"
