How can we be silent: Kejriwal

Blaming the Centre for the violence over Padmaavat, Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday  asked if one is  to remain silent when children are attacked in the way everyone is silent when  Muslims and Dalits.

His comments came  after protesters targeted a school bus in Gurugram on Wednesday by pelting stones at the vehicle and creating panic among the children.

"When they attacked Muslims  everyone  was silent;  they attacked Dalits and even then  everyone was silent. Now they are coming after our children. Can we still afford to be silent?" Kejriwal said at Delhi government's Republic Day celebrations at Chhatrasal Stadium.

He said it was a matter of shame for the entire country that on the eve of Republic day, children are pelted with stones a few kilometres from the national capital.

The Delhi government also registered its protest to the violence through Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is  a member of the Rajput community himself.

"I am a Rajput myself and is totally moved by the Gurugram incident. I  was born in the same society. An attack on a school bus is a criminal act," he said.  He said most members of the Rajput community are against such violence.

He said he will watch Padmaavat with "many other Rajput leaders" and "see what exactly is shown in the film and then brief people about the film".

On Wednesday, Kejriwal had tweeted about the protests and the way it is handled.

"If all state governments, the central government and Supreme Court together cannot get one movie released and run it safely, how can we expect investments to flow in? Forget FDI, even local investors would feel hesitant. Not good for the already-dwindling economy. Bad for jobs."

Sharing  a video of the attack, he said, "utterly shameful. More disgusting is the complicity of those government(s) who are allowing it through their inaction."