'The BJP owes its landslide victory in 2014 to the Dalits and the Dalits will make it lose the elections in 2019," declares Chandrashekhar Azad of the Bhim Army in an exclusive interview with The Quint.
When asked if he would support Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati as the Prime Ministerial candidate, Azad agreed and said he would like to see a Dalit PM in India.
Azad, who was jailed under the National Security Act (NSA) by the UP government, was released from prison at 2:24 am on Friday, 14 September.
He was first arrested for his alleged involvement in the Saharanpur riots on 8 June 2017. On 2 November 2017 the Allahabad High Court granted him bail. However, a day later, he was arrested again under the provisions of the NSA.
Azad filed a petition before the Allahabad High Court earlier this year, asking for the detention order to be quashed. In May, the high court dismissed his petition, finding no illegality in the detention order.
Saharanpur Violence Case
On 5 May, a Dalit group had objected to a procession of Thakurs in Shabbirpur to mark the birth anniversary of Rajput king Maharana Pratap, triggering violence, in which one person was killed and over 15 were injured.
Dalits say upper-caste Thakurs had earlier prevented them from installing a statue of BR Ambedkar in the premises of the Ravidas temple in the village.
Members of the Bhim Army, a Dalit group, had on 9 May torched a bus and set a number of two-wheelers afire after the administration had turned down their request to hold a mahapanchayat in Gandhi Park to demand compensation for those affected in the 5 May inter-caste clashes.
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