ROORKEE/DEHRADUN: Making a mockery of the law, two senior politicians in Uttarakhand – Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion, former MLA from Khanpur and a BJP member, and the independent MLA from the same seat, Umesh Kumar – went at each other with loaded weapons, even as their supporters clashed, spreading fear and panic in the region on Sunday.
A video of the incident, which evoked widespread condemnation, showed Champion, along with more than two dozen supporters, storming the camp office-cum-residence of Kumar in a gang-war style shootout, firing gunshots, heckling the MLA’s staff and beating up people. Champion could be seen in the footage loading an assault rifle, firing shots and walking around Kumar’s office premises with a rifle in one hand and a pistol in the other.
A member of Kumar’s staff, Rao Imran, allegedly sustained head injuries in the scuffle and was taken to hospital. Before cops could arrive, Champion and his supporters had left the spot. Later in the day, Kumar’s personal secretary, Zubair Kazmi, lodged a complaint against Champion at Roorkee’s Civil Lines police station alleging that around 100 rounds were fired, of which 70 empty bullet covers had been recovered. The ex-MLA and four of his supporters were subsequently arrested from Dehradun. Doon SSP Ajai Singh told TOI that they were in the process of being handed over to Haridwar police under whose jurisdiction the area falls.
Champion, Kumar in bitter rivalry since 2022 U’khand polls
Meanwhile, soon after the attack at his camp office, Umesh Kumar, who was not present during the altercation, reached the spot.
Police officers had also reached by then. The already-tense situation intensified when Kumar’s supporters began shouting slogans against Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion, and Kumar attempted to rush toward Champion’s residence, barely 300 metres away from his place, wielding a pistol.
Police officers had to intervene and restrain him physically, all of which was captured on video.
The incident, coming barely days before the scheduled visit of PM Narendra Modi to attend the opening ceremony of the 38th national games in Dehradun on Tuesday, has stirred up the political environment in the hill state, where such brazen acts of violence amongst lawmakers are rarely seen.
Both Champion and Kumar have been engaged in bitter rivalry since 2022 when Kumar wrested the Khanpur seat from the control of the BJP legislator, who had represented it for four terms, and had fielded his wife against Kumar in the assembly polls.
The duo had often been engaging in verbal slug-fests on social media besides fighting cases against each other in court. A couple of days ago, Champion had put up a post referring to Kumar as “an illegitimate child”.
Soon after, Kumar and his supporters stormed into Champion’s ancestral home in Landaura, hurling abuses and challenging him to come outside and face them.
After his arrest from Nehru Colony in Dehradun, Champion told mediapersons that he was forced to react since Kumar had “challenged him”.