Wednesday,20th August: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was allegedly attacked by a man during a public hearing (Jan Sunwai) at her residence on Wednesday morning. Initial reports suggested that the Chief Minister had been slapped, but Delhi BJP chief Virendraa Sachdeva denied such claims. According to Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, the Chief Minister suffered a ‘light blow to the head’. He added further about her activities, “Such incidents in politics are condemnable. Jan Sunwai will continue. The CM is resting right now, but she has said that she will not cancel her programms.”
The initial probe revealed that the accused identified himself as Rajesh Bhai Khimji Bhai Sakariya, a 41-year-old resident of Rajkot. Police confirmed the fact and arrested him. Meanwhile, Rajkot police have taken his mother, Bhanuben Sakaria, for questioning. She said she was unaware that her son would visit the Delhi Chief Minister's residence. She revealed that Rajesh is an auto driver and an animal lover. He travelled to Delhi to protest after the verdict of the Supreme Court related to the stray dogs.
"His mind is like that-he can hit anyone. He has even beaten me; I had left for 15 days. He does have mental issues, but he never takes any medicine. He loves animals, and after the news about the dogs, he had been disturbed. He used to beat everyone at home; his nature had just become like that," the accused's mother said.
Hindustan Times cited other sources who claimed one of his relatives is also in jail, and he had come with a petition seeking their release, a matter that is currently pending in court. His family has also shed light on his background.
What happened in the public hearing
Officials said the man, believed to be in his mid-30s to early 40s, first handed over some papers to CM, Rekha Gupta, then began shouting and was trying to pull her towards him. He was immediately overpowered and taken into custody. After that, the accused was thrashed by other people at the event.
Widespread Condemnation
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa strongly condemned the incident, calling it a "conspiracy by rivals." He said, "She worries for Delhi day and night. They cannot tolerate that a CM remains amid the public for hours, that she meets people at her residence. So, there seems to be a political conspiracy behind this. Delhi Police is investigating, and all facts will come out." Another strong condemnation came from Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra, who described the assault as an "unforgivable crime." Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav said, “This is very unfortunate. CM leads the entire Delhi, and I think that the more such incidents are condemned, the less it is. He also added that this incident “also exposes women's safety”.
