Former Cong MLA shot at in Himachal's Bilaspur accuses BJP of supporting attackers

Shimla, Mar 15 (PTI) A day after former Congress MLA Bamber Thakur was shot at by unidentified assailants, he has accused the local BJP legislature of supporting drug smugglers who attacked him.
     Thakur was attacked by four bike-borne assailants at his residence in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur on Friday afternoon. He was sitting in the courtyard of his wife's government accommodation when the attackers fired 12 rounds, police said earlier.
     He and his personal security officer were injured in the incident and rushed to a hospital.
     Thakur suffered a bullet injury in his leg.
     Talking to the reporters, Thakur who is undergoing treatment in Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) Shimla said "If Trilok Jamwal would not support, such incidents would not take place. If I could be attacked at home during the Congress regime, I would surely be killed in the BJP tenure and the Chief Minister needs to be serious".
     "I had organised a rally against the drugs (Chitta - adulterated heroin) smugglers and demanded that their properties be attached and Chitta smugglers have attacked me", he said. He alleged that the local BJP MLA from Bilaspur (sadar) assembly constituency Trilok Jamwal and the BJP are protecting the attackers.
     "My son was also attacked two days before the last elections," he said and alleged that the accused has political protection. Such anti-social elements should be strictly dealt with, he demanded. "I was being followed for the past 2-3 months and had applied for a gun license but the file is still pending, " he said.
     Condemning the incident, Jamwal said, "If former Congress MLA is not safe in Congress regime what would happen to the common people and demanded an impartial enquiry into the incident". He threatened to call for Bilaspur bandh on Monday if the accused were not arrested by Sunday evening.
     The BJP also took out a rally in protest of the attack in Bilaspur on Saturday. Jamwal said that the gang war is ongoing in Bilaspur and action will be taken against them and the Chitta mafia.
     Drug, mining and land mafia have become prevalent in Bilaspur during the Congress rule, he said and added that the government has failed.
     Reacting to the allegations, BJP state media in charge Karan Nanda said that Thakur is trying to take political mileage out of the situation and tarnish the image of the BJP leader.
     The faces of the shooters have been captured in the CCTV, he said and added that "it is his government and Thakur could get an enquiry conducted in the incident."
     Addressing the media person here, Nanda said that law and order have collapsed and the government is sleeping.
     "Jungle Raj is prevailing in the state and neither the employees nor the leaders are safe, Border areas have become firing ranges, " he said and claimed that 16 murders have been reported in the first 50 days of 2025.
     Superintendent of Police Sandeep Dhawal said investigations are underway and based on evidence available on the spot, CCTV footage and inputs from social media, some people have been detained and questioned including the person who dropped the shooters.
     The accused were yet to be identified as they were from outside the state and teams constituted in the case are chasing the targets. The accused would be nabbed soon, he added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)