No personal enmity with anyone: Sharad Pawar
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had just taken a step ahead after answering questions from mediapersons when a hand came from among the crowd and slapped his cheek. A nonplussed Pawar later said that in his 50-year political career he has never had any personal enmity with anyone.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief also said that Delhi administration will take action against the attacker. "As I walked after attending the function some media people stopped and asked me some questions. As I took a step ahead, one hand came from the media side and just passed through my face. He was abusing some political parties and leaders," Pawar told reporters here.
The agriculture minister said he was unaware that the man was involved in another attack earlier - on former union minister Sukh Ram. "In my last 50 year of political career, I did not have any personal enmity with anyone … there may have been political differences. So I don't understand why this effort was made and I won't like to comment beyond this," he said.
Pawar was slapped by a turbaned Sikh man, Harvinder Singh, who had also attacked Sukh Ram outside a court here Saturday. Pawar was hopeful that the Delhi administration will take action in this case.
"I appeal to all party workers to maintain peace and not take any steps that can trouble the common people," he said.
Pawar, who doesn't take any security beside one constable, said he won't accept more police force for his protection. Replying to the comment of Anna Hazare that he was slapped only once, Pawar said tongue in cheek: "He might be coming out with a new definition of Gandhian thoughts."
His daughter and NCP MP Supriya Sule said the incident should be forgotten. "Whatever happened is unfortunate but everybody has the right to protest in a democracy, but violence has to be condemned...We don't want to blame anyone for this attack," said Sule.
NCP general secretary Tariq Anwar said the attack should be taken seriously as it proves that nobody is safe. "If he had not been stopped on time, he could have attacked with the knife (kirpan) he was holding, which would have been fatal," said Anwar.
