Bhim Army chief at the launch of his party on Sunday. (Source: ANI)
AFTER REPOSING faith in Mayawati’s political leadership of Dalits for years, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad launched his own political party on Sunday. He chose the occasion of the birth anniversary of Mayawati’s mentor and BSP founder Kanshi Ram to launch his party — Azad Samaj Party.
The party is likely to fight the polls in UP in 2022 in alliance with O P Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party as part of a larger alliance — the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha.
Before the launch at an event in Safai village, the 37-year-old leader made Kanshi Ram’s photograph his Twitter profile picture. He also launched the party flag — white band between two blue strips with Azad Samaj Party written in the middle.
Azad said the Bhim Army will run parallel to the party and continue to fight for Dalit rights and enroll new members.
Earlier, Bhim Army members claimed that police had locked the gates of the venue and pasted a notice, which said: “Event cannot be held as large gatherings are prohibited in view of coronavirus.” The gate was, however, opened later.
Azad had earlier given a call to voters to defeat the BJP by voting for Mayawati. He has even said that he wanted to see Mayawati as the PM, although the BSP supremo has called him a BJP agent. Only recently, after BSP lent its support to the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill, that Azad said he would launch his own party as Mayawati was no more protecting the rights of the Bahujan society.