New Delhi, August 20 : Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was assaulted this morning during a public hearing at her residence, sustaining injuries to her hand and head. The attack occurred during a “Jansunwai,” a weekly public meeting she holds to address constituent concerns.
A man, identified as Rajesh Sakriya from Rajkot, Gujarat, reportedly in his 40s, approached the Chief Minister before slapping and pushing her. He then pulled her hair before her security team intervened and apprehended him. An attempt to murder case has been filed against Sakriya.
Sources close to Sakriya’s family say his mother, Bhanu, claims he is a dog lover who was upset about a recent Supreme Court ruling to round up and relocate stray dogs in Delhi NCR.
The Chief Minister’s Office has described the attack as premeditated. CCTV footage shows Sakriya conducting surveillance of the CM’s residence at least 24 hours before the assault. The footage has been turned over to the police, who are conducting a full investigation.
Senior BJP leader Harish Khurana condemned the assault, stating, “We condemn the attack. It should be investigated if this attack was politically motivated.” Both the BJP and Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa have suggested the attack may be politically motivated, with Sirsa stating that rivals cannot tolerate the Chief Minister’s work.
Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister Atishi from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also condemned the violence, saying, “In a democracy, there is a place for disagreement and protest, but there is no place for violence.”
The Delhi Police Commissioner, SBK Singh, will oversee an inquiry into the security breach.
