AIMIM leader shot dead in Bihar

Abdul Salam, a leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), was shot dead by unidentified attackers in Bihar's Gopalganj district on Monday (February 12) night. This is the second such incident in Bihar of late.

Abdul Salam, who ran for the Gopalganj assembly seat in November 2022 but didn't win, was on his way to catch a train when the attackers struck.

Riding on a motorcycle with a relative, Salam was attacked by four assailants on two motorcycles. Despite being taken to a hospital, Salam succumbed. AIMIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the worsening law and order situation in the state.

He questioned the safety of AIMIM’s leaders, pointing out that this is the second killing in two months.

“Last year, in December, our Siwan district president Arif Jamal was shot dead. Nitish Kumar, after you are done with saving the chair competition, do some work. Why are only our leaders the target? Will their families get justice?” Owaisi posted on X on Monday night.

गोपालगंज उपचुनाव में @aimim_national के पूर्व प्रत्याशी सह प्रदेश सचिव अब्दुल सलाम असलम मुखिया की गोली मारकर हत्या कर दी गई है। अल्लाह से दुआ करता हूँ के उनके परिवार वालों सब्र-ए-जमील अता करे। पिछले साल दिसंबर में हमारे सिवान के जिलाध्यक्ष आरिफ जमाल की गोली मारकर हत्या कर दी गई…

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) February 12, 2024

Owaisi urged Nitish Kumar to prioritise addressing these security concerns over political rivalries.

Gopalganj Police Superintendent Swarn Prabhat has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate Abdul Salam's murder.

AIMIM's Bihar spokesperson, Adil Hasan Azad, stressed Salam's clean political record and requested the police to conduct a thorough and fair investigation. Following the December killing of AIMIM's Siwan district president, Arif Jamal, concerns have risen over the safety of the party's leaders in Bihar.