The correct option is (a) 1 and 2 only.
Explanation
The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) was a revolutionary organization established to overthrow British colonial rule through armed struggle and establish a Federal Republic of United States of India based on socialist principles. It was a reorganization of the earlier Hindustan Republican Association (HRA).Statement 1 is Correct:
The HRA was reorganized and renamed as the HSRA in September 1928 during a meeting held at the Ferozeshah Kotla grounds in Delhi. This renaming signified the shift in the revolutionaries' ideological stance toward socialism.
Statement 2 is Correct:
The organization was led by a collective leadership. Its prominent members included Chandra Shekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Bhagwati Charan Vohra, and Bejoy Kumar Sinha. Chandra Shekhar Azad was a central figure in organizing the group across North India.
Statement 3 is Incorrect:
On April 8, 1929, Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt threw bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly. However, the objective was not to kill the Viceroy or any members. The bombs were of low intensity, intended "to make the deaf hear." The act was a protest against the passage of the Public Safety Bill and the Trade Disputes Bill. The revolutionaries stayed at the scene and courted arrest voluntarily.
Key Takeaway:
The transition from HRA to HSRA in 1928 marked the formal adoption of socialism by North Indian revolutionaries. The Central Assembly Bombing was a symbolic protest against repressive laws, distinct from the assassination of Saunders (which was an act of retribution for the death of Lala Lajpat Rai).