Ashfaq Ullah Khan, who laughed and kissed the noose to break the chains of slavery of the country, was a great hero of Jung-e-Azadi. The British tried various tricks to get them into their fold, but they could not succeed. The British tried a lot to break them but they all suffered on themselves, did not even let the heat come on the country and the people of the country. Ashfaq Ullah Khan was such a strong willed person!
Mahatma Gandhi had a great influence on Ashfaq, but when Gandhi withdrew the non-cooperation movement after the Chauti Chauta incident, he met the famous revolutionary Ramprasad Bismil. Under the leadership of Bismil and Chandrashekhar Azad, they planned and looted the government treasury to be carried in the train for the purpose of raising money for weapons. In fact, that treasure was also looted by the British from the Indians. The British government was shaken by this incident and started searching for all of them by raiding from place to place. One by one, all the revolutionaries involved in the Kakori incident were caught, but Chandrashekhar Azad and Ashfaqulla Khan did not come. Later, one of his treacherous friends came under the greed of reward announced by the British and informed the police and Ashfaq was caught betraying the friend.
When Ashfaq was arrested after the Kakori incident, the British tried to make him an official witness and said that even if India became independent, it would be ruled by Hindus and Muslims would get nothing. In response, Ashfaq said that the British's move to rule divided would have no effect on him and India would remain independent. Ashfaq had told the British- "You cannot suppress the freedom struggle by dividing the Hindu-Muslims. The flame of revolution has raged in India which will burn the British Empire to ashes. I am not an official witness against my friends at all. I will be."
Due to his insistence, the British were intent on hanging him and finally the British judge sentenced Ashfaq to death in a case like dacoity. Ashfaq was hanged on 19 December 1927. He laughed and kissed the noose of the gallows.
Posted on 14th Sep 2022