- BJP suspects political conspiracy behind attack on Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta
- Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa linked attack to rivals' intolerance of Gupta's work
- Senior AAP leader Atishi condemned the attack and called for strict police action
A political row has erupted over the attack on Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta during a public hearing this morning. While the BJP has alleged a political conspiracy behind the attack, which occurred at the Chief Minister's residence, the AAP has drawn a comparison with incidents when the party chief, Arvind Kejriwal, came under attack during his regime.
Ms Gupta was listening to public grievances when she was attacked by a man, with the preliminary information suggesting that the attacker was identified as a 41-year-old man from Gujarat. The attacker was immediately arrested, and the Chief Minister was taken for a medical check-up.
Delhi minister and Ms Gupta's cabinet colleague Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that her rivals cannot tolerate the Chief Minister's work on the ground, indicating that the attack was due to political reasons. A probe is on to find out who is behind the attacker, said the senior BJP leader.
The opposition AAP, which was dethroned by Ms Gupta's party early this year, has condemned the attack on the Chief Minister. AAP leaders and former chief ministers, Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi, have both said that violence holds no place in a democracy; however, party colleague Saurabh Bharadwaj recalled that Mr Kejriwal himself came under attack several times in the past.
"Whenever someone attacked Arvind Kejriwal ji, within no time, the talented officers of Delhi Police would plant news in the media on why the attacker was "angry" with Kejriwal. Now that the government and Chief Minister have changed, the talented police officers are in a dilemma," said Mr Bharadwaj.
The former MLA also condemned the attack and said the AAP does not justify any violence. He also pointed to media reports on the accused's mother claiming that he was a dog lover who was upset over the recent Supreme Court order to make Delhi-NCR streets free of stray dogs.
Mr Kejriwal, who has been subjected to similar attacks in the past, said he is confident that the Delhi Police will take appropriate action against the attacker. "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 the Delhi Police will take appropriate action. I hope the Chief Minister is completely safe and healthy," said the former chief minister.
In a similar statement online, senior AAP leader Atishi said, "The attack on Delhi's Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is highly condemnable. In a democracy, there is a place for disagreement and protest, but there is no place for violence. I hope that the Delhi Police will take the strictest action against the culprits. It is hoped that the Chief Minister is completely safe."
Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav has also condemned the incident, but with a jibe at the administration. "The Chief Minister leads the entire Delhi. I feel that such incidents cannot be condemned enough, but they also expose the reality of women's safety. If the Chief Minister of Delhi is not safe, then how can a common man or a common woman remain safe?" he asked.
The attack on the Chief Minister has raised serious security concerns, with the police forming an internal committee to probe the incident. Delhi Police Commissioner SBK Singh will supervise the probe, according to sources.
The attacker has been identified as Rajesh Sakriya, a 41-year-old man from Gujarat's Rajkot. Some accounts claim that he had come to meet the Chief Minister to seek help for the release of a jailed relative. He had approached Ms Gupta with some papers and suddenly attacked her, eyewitnesses have said.
