AAP leader shot at by unidentified attacker in Amritsar

Charanjit Singh Teja
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, November 20

Former Aam Adami Party’s district president Suresh Sharma was shot at by an unidentified assailant on Tuesday evening.

A youth is believed to have come into his furniture shop at 6.30 pm and shot him thrice in the lower body before escaping. Sharma was taken to a private hospital immediately. His injuries are believed to be serious, but his family said his condition was stable.

Police said he was in no condition to record his statement and that they were now collecting recordings from security cameras in his shop as well as commercial establishments nearby.

Sharma is an active RTI activist and an anti-corruption crusader who has been critical of rival politicians and political parties. A supporter of former AAP leader Sukhpal Khaira, he resigned as AAP’s district president when Khaira was replaced as leader of opposition earlier this year.

In his statement, Khaira, who is now expelled from the party, said: “I strongly condemn the murderous attack on our party colleague and PAC member Suresh Sharma ji in Amritsar today. This speaks of total breakdown of law and order in Punjab, as he was shot in a busy market in broad daylight. It appears there’s no security for life of ordinary people in Punjab. We demand immediate arrest of the culprits and stringent action against them”.