Arvind Kejriwal attacked by party worker: Delhi Police

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister and AAam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal was on Saturday attacked during a road show in the national capital allegedly by a party worker, police said.

Kejriwal, who was campaigning for party’s candidate in west Delhi’s Moti Nagar area along with party candidate Balbir Singh Jakhar, was “slapped” by a person wearing a maroon colour T-shirt soon after the CM boarded the open jeep to participate in a road show.

AAP workers and supporters overpowered the alleged attacker.

Today’s road show was organized from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. It was scheduled to start from Karampura and was to terminate at R.K. Ashram Marg. Police said security was in place for the event in consultation with the organizers.

“The Chief Minister arrived around 5.43 p.m. at the venue. He stepped out of the official vehicle and got on to the open Gypsy prepared for the road show. As he was greeting his party workers who had gathered around the Gypsy, a person, later identified as Suresh, got to the bonnet of the Gypsy and attempted to assault the CM,” said Additional PRO (Delhi Police) Anil Mittal.

“Suresh was immediately overpowered and saved from the agitated supporters and taken to hospital for medical treatment. The road show then resumed as per schedule,” said Mittal.

“Preliminary interrogation has revealed that Suresh, a scrap dealer in the area, was an AAP activist and worked as an organiser of the party’s rallies and meetings”, he said.

As per the accused version, over a period of time he got disenchanted due to behaviour of its leaders. He got further angry due to distrust of the party in the armed forces, Mittal said.

“Today Suresh was wearing a cap (which he later took off) and scarf of AAP, and was in the reception group of the CM. No one objected to him being there as he had been an organiser for the party as he stood near the the Gypsy. He took off the scarf, climbed the bonnet and attempted to assault Kejriwal”, the officer said.

Suresh, a resident of Kailash Park, is being interrogated. Police are awaiting a formal complaint from AAP to register an FIR against him”, the officer added.

“An inquiry by a DCP-level officer has been ordered as to how the accused was allowed to be in the proximate area,” he added.

Published on: May 4, 2019 at 22:50 IST

IANS