JOIN USA woman threw ink at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, as he was congratulating denizens for “successful implementation” of the odd-even formula, which ended on Friday.
Kejriwal’s speech saw a disruption of at least 10 minutes after the woman approached the dais with ink. According to an eyewitness, the chief minister wiped his face with a kerchief to remove stains.
Delhi chief minister was speaking at a government-organised public event in Chhatrasal Stadium near Model Town colony here. The ink thrower claims to be in-charge of the Punjab unit of Aam Aadmi Sena, the Aam Aadmi Party’s rebel faction. The AAP will debut in the impending Assembly elections in Punjab.
The police detained the attacker, who was identified as Bhavna Arora. After the event, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia blasted the Delhi Police for laxity and said the ink attack showed a larger conspiracy scripted by the BJP’s central government to physically harm the chief minister.
But immediately after the attack, Kejriwal didn’t blame anyone. “She is talking about CNG scam, please take papers from her,” he said, before pausing for a break. The woman waved a CD in her hand to claim that she has incriminating evidence related to the scam.
“This is not the first time that such an attack on Kejriwal has taken place. Every time, the attacker is detained and let off later, without exposing the larger conspiracy behind it," Sisodia said.
Kejriwal has been on the receiving end of such attacks in the past as well. During his public appearance, ink, mobil oil and eggs have been thrown at him. He was even slapped twice during his Lok Sabha poll campaigns in 2014.
BJP president Satish Upadhyay however, said the incident was stage managed by the AAP to gain public sympathy.
In attendance at Kejriwal’s thanksgiving address were his cabinet colleagues, civil defence volunteers, Delhi Police personnel and members of other agencies involved in implementation of the 15-day odd-even car curbs.
“You can see: Gopal Rai said some people are trying to defeat the government’s odd-even plan, I will speak about them too,” Kejriwal told the audience and continued thanking odd-even rule implementing agencies in order.
Some of the AAP volunteers, who were also present at the event, took laps of the running track of Chhatrasal Stadium with party posters, claiming success of the odd-even trail. When the woman was being escorted out of the venue by Delhi Police and civil defence volunteers, dozens of AAP supporters flocked her.