AAP candidate thrashed allegedly with rods; stones hurled at Shazia Ilmi

Nalanda/Neemuch: Two Aam Aadmi Party leaders were attacked in different states on Sunday, one of them, Pranav Prakash in Bihar, allegedly with rods and the butt of a pistol. In Madhya Pradesh, a slogan-shouting mob threw stones at senior AAP leader Shazia Ilmi during a rally.

Mr Prakash, the AAP candidate in Nalanda, alleged that his car was stopped by about 25 people, who fired at the vehicle and smashed its windows.

"I was dragged out of the car. They used lathis on my arms and legs. They hit me with the butt of a pistol. I was also hit on the head," said Mr Prakash, who is admitted at a local hospital.

An AAP statement said the attackers "dragged him out of the car into a ditch and beat him unconscious." The police are investigating the incident and have not said as yet who could be behind the attack.
 
Shazia Ilmi was in Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh to campaign for the local AAP candidate when unidentified men threw stones at her while she was making a speech, forcing her to stop. (India Votes 2014: full coverage)

Ms Ilmi had just begun criticising the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi when the attackers threw stones at the dais raising slogans in support of Mr Modi. AAP workers and the police chased the men but they managed to flee.

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Ms Ilmi has lodged a police complaint, accusing local BJP workers of attacking her. A local AAP leader alleged that both the BJP and the Congress were behind the attack.

In Bihar, AAP plans a dharna or sit-in today outside the Election Commission's office in Patna to protest against the attack on its Nalanda candidate.

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AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has faced a number of attacks in the last few weeks. An autorickshaw driver slapped him last week during a roadshow in Delhi. He has had other people in crowds hit out at him and has also had ink and even an egg thrown at him. (In Varanasi to challenge Narendra Modi, Kejriwal faces egg, ink attack)

In Gujarat last month, a mob had attacked the car he was traveling in. (Read more...)