Arvind Kejriwal’s car was allegedly blocked by a group of men who waved black flags and pelted stones at it while the AAP national convener was campaigning here on Saturday for the upcoming Delhi elections.
Kejriwal’s BJP opponent from the New Delhi seat, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, later visited members of the group in a hospital where they were admitted for injuries sustained during the melee.
Priyanka Kakkar, the AAP’s chief national spokesperson, told reporters: “Even after distributing money, shoes and glasses, when no one was asking about Pravesh Verma, he got Kejriwal attacked. The Union home ministry had informed that Kejriwal’s life was in danger but it did not say that the danger was from BJP goons. Will the Election Commission open its eyes? Will the Delhi police wake up?”
The police have filed non-cognisable reports — that require a court’s order to investigate — against Verma for alleged bribery of voters.
Videos purportedly showing gifts being distributed at Verma’s behest have gone viral on social media. Verma has defended it as charity from an NGO started by his late father and former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma.
After meeting the injured men at the hospital, Verma posted on X: “What kind of politics is this @ArvindKejriwal, if a person questions your party or policies, does it become a ‘murderous attack’? Every citizen has the right to ask questions to the leaders of his area. And you tell me, who gave you the right to try to run over someone with a car?”
The AAP shared photos taken earlier of one of the men involved in the attack with Verma.
- Delhi votes on February 5