The accused first approached the CM with some papers during the hearing before suddenly turning aggressive and attempting to assault her
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta File pic.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was allegedly attacked on Wednesday morning while attending a ‘Jan Sunwai’ programme at her camp office in Civil Lines. Her office confirmed the incident and said immediate action was taken, reported PTI.
A senior police officer stated that the accused had been detained on the spot and was currently under interrogation. The North Delhi DCP, along with other senior police officials, rushed to the location to assess the situation.
According to Delhi Police sources, the man involved in the attack has been identified as Rajesh Bhaiji, a resident of Rajkot in Gujarat. Investigations are underway to determine his motive and background, reported PTI.
The Chief Minister’s Office issued a statement, saying: "A person attacked Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta during 'Jan Sunwai' today. Delhi Police has detained the accused and is questioning him."
As reported by PTI, sources from the Delhi BJP claimed that the attacker was around 35 years old. They added that he first approached the CM with some papers during the hearing before suddenly turning aggressive and attempting to assault her.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva met the CM after the incident and told reporters that although Rekha Gupta was visibly disturbed by the episode, she was safe. "During the 'Jan Sunwai' this morning, the CM was interacting with the public as usual when a man approached her, handed over some papers and suddenly caught her hand, attempting to pull her towards him. In the scuffle that followed, people overpowered him... His identity and other details are being investigated by the police," he said.
Sachdeva also dismissed speculation that the CM was slapped or attacked with a stone. He added that such acts were unacceptable in politics. He assured that the ‘Jan Sunwai’ sessions would continue and said Gupta had made it clear she would not cancel her scheduled programmes. For now, she was resting, reported PTI.
Security arrangements at the CM’s camp office have been significantly tightened following the incident. Officials confirmed that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had been informed.
Eyewitnesses narrated what they saw during the public hearing. One participant said, "We were all sitting. A person whose turn came sat with the CM. He was speaking with the CM and suddenly he attacked her. We heard a loud sound. And immediately the police detained the person."
Another citizen, Shailender Kumar, who had come to raise a complaint regarding sewer problems in his locality, remarked: "We heard that someone has slapped the chief minister. This is not right."
The incident was widely condemned by political leaders. Former Delhi chief minister and current Leader of Opposition Atishi expressed concern, saying she hoped Gupta was safe and urged the police to take strict action against the culprit, reported PTI.
Delhi Police Commissioner SBK Singh visited the spot later in the day to review the security situation, reported PTI.
Meanwhile, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also strongly criticised the attack.
"She worries about Delhi. This is distressing for her detractors. I condemn the attack on her in the strongest words," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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