Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was reportedly attacked by a man during a public hearing session at her camp office on Wednesday morning. The incident occurred when Gupta was interacting with citizens as part of her weekly Jan Sunwai. Suddenly, a man entered the premises, shouted, slapped the Chief Minister, and allegedly abused her before engaging in a serious scuffle, as per News18 Hindi.
The accused has been identified as 41-year-old Rajesh Bhai Khimji Bhai Sakariya, a resident of Rajkot in Gujarat, who is also alleged to have been involved in a physical confrontation with the Chief Minister, he was later arrested, according to a report by CNN.
The accused family has said that he had gone to Delhi in connection with the removal of stray dogs.
“One person apprehended and taken to Civil Lines Police Station in connection with attack on Delhi CM Rekha Gupta during Jan Sunvai at CM Residence,” Delhi Police said in a statement.
During the public hearing, he initially handed some papers to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta before allegedly launching the attack, news agency PTI reported citing party sources.
The sudden attack caused chaos at the venue, and security personnel quickly overpowered the accused. He has been taken into custody, and police are currently interrogating him to ascertain the motive behind the assault. However, the exact reason for the attack is yet to be determined.
The incident has raised serious concerns over the security arrangements at the Chief Minister’s residence and office, as the breach is being seen as a major lapse.
Reacting to the development, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva strongly condemned the attack, calling it “shameful” and urging authorities to ensure the Chief Minister’s safety during such public interactions.
Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav strongly condemned the attack, describing it as an unfortunate incident. In a statement to news agency ANI, he questioned the law-and-order situation in the national capital, saying that if the chief minister herself is not safe, then the safety of ordinary citizens is even more doubtful.
“The chief minister represents the entire Delhi, and such incidents must be condemned in the strongest terms. However, this attack also raises serious concerns about women’s safety,” Yadav added.