Protest for atrocities against Dalits: Bhim Army leaders on fast in prison

Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh: Founder of Bhim Army, Chandrashekhar Azad is reportedly on a fast since last Tuesday. The Dalit-rights organisation leader has been lodged in Saharanpur jail after UP government charged him with National Security Act on his demand of amnesty for those facing cases for participating in Bharat Bandh.

Mother of Chandrashekhar, Kamlesh Devi, said he started the “fast unto death” to protest against the “targeting of Dalits and filing of cases against them” during the Bharat bandh on April 2.

“The way Dalits are being harassed by the Adityanath government has pained us all. Chandrashekhar has started a fast against the atrocities. I met him in jail where I got to know that he was having only water. The jail administration is pressuring him to break his fast,” she told The Hindu.

The organisation is reportedly working for Dalits. It runs free schools for Dalits in western Uttar Pradesh.