Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav criticised the attack and called it extremely sad.  "It is condemnable that the chief minister was attacked. This also exposes the fact that women are not safe in Delhi. People come here for safety. The police should wake up and address the issue of women's safety," he added. 

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Wednesday condemned the attack on Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, stressing that if the Delhi Chief Minister  is unsafe under central-controlled policing, the safety of ordinary citizens remains in serious doubt.

"...We have seen past incidents where the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal faced these kinds of attacks. At that time, the BJP used to celebrate those attacks. The law and order challenge has entered the doorstep of the sitting CM of the capital of this country. It is extremely worrisome, and questions need to be raised to the Home Ministry since Delhi Police & the law and order come under them...How are the citizens of Delhi safe if the CM herself is unsafe?... I am hoping that the Home Ministry will finally wake up to the cause being made by the citizens of Delhi," Ms Chaturvedi told ANI.

AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj also expressed disappointment over the incident, saying there is no place for such an attack in society and these are not the principles taught by Mahatma Gandhi.

लोकतंत्र और सभ्य समाज में हिंसा की कोई जगह नहीं है। कोई भी हिंसा , हर तरह की हिंसा की सिर्फ़ और सिर्फ़ निंदा होनी चाहिए।
हम वो नहीं जो किसी भी हिंसा को जस्टिफाई (Justify) करें। आशा हैं सभी दल अनुसरण करेंगे ।
हम रेखा गुप्ता के अच्छे स्वास्थ्य की कामना करते हैं। pic.twitter.com/MYQzgO1ZY1

— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) August 20, 2025

According to sources in the police, the accused carried out a recce of the Chief Minister's Official Residence and spent the night in the area at Civil Lines on Tuesday night.

The man who attacked Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has been identified as Sakaria Rajeshbhai Khimjibhai, originally from Rajkot in Gujarat. Delhi Police reached out to his family, and his mother, Bhanu, has said that Rajesh is a dog lover and was upset over the Supreme Court's recent ruling to round up stray dogs in Delhi NCR and shift them to shelters, sources said. Some accounts also claim 41-year-old Sakaria went to the public meeting to seek the Chief Minister's help after his relative was arrested. An official response from Delhi Police is awaited. 

दिल्ली की मुख्यमंत्री रेखा गुप्ता पर हुआ हमला बेहद निंदनीय है। लोकतंत्र में असहमति और विरोध की जगह होती है, लेकिन हिंसा के लिए कोई जगह नहीं है।
उम्मीद है कि दिल्ली पुलिस दोषियों पर कड़ी से कड़ी कार्रवाई करेगी। आशा है मुख्यमंत्री पूरी तरह सुरक्षित हैं। https://t.co/I0olIy2opH

— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) August 20, 2025

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is "shaken", but she is doing fine. "During the 'Jan Sunwai' this morning, the Chief Minister was interacting with the public as usual when a man approached her, handed over some papers and suddenly caught her hand, attempting to pull her towards him. In the scuffle that followed, people overpowered him..," he said.

According to police sources, the accused's mother Bhanu Ben said his son was an animal lover and was upset over the administration's action related to the recent Supreme Court directive on stray dogs.

"The attack on Delhi's Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is highly condemnable. In a democratic system, differences of opinion and opposition are acceptable, but there can be no place for violence. I am confident that the Delhi Police will take appropriate action. I hope the Chief Minister is completely safe and healthy," AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal said on X.

दिल्ली की मुख्यमंत्री रेखा गुप्ता पर हुआ हमला बेहद निंदनीय है। लोकतांत्रिक व्यवस्था में विचारों का मतभेद और विरोध स्वीकार्य है, लेकिन हिंसा के लिए कोई स्थान नहीं हो सकता।
मुझे विश्वास है कि दिल्ली पुलिस उचित कार्रवाई करेगी। आशा है कि मुख्यमंत्री पूरी तरह सुरक्षित और स्वस्थ हों।

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 20, 2025

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was allegedly attacked during a "Jan Sunwai" programme on Thursday morning, police said, adding that the accused has been caught and is being questioned.