Kejriwal slapped by man in roadshow in Moti Nagar; AAP accuses BJP
New Delhi, May 4: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was slapped by a man during a roadshow in Moti Nagar in the New Delhi constituency, prompting a strong reaction from the AAP which alleged the BJP was behind the "cowardly act".
Police said the man has been taken into custody and an investigation into the matter is underway.
Kejriwal was on an open jeep when a man wearing a red t-shirt jumped onto the vehicle and slapped the chief minister before he was pulled off the jeep.
DCP (West) Monika Bhardwaj said the man has been identified as Suresh, 33, and he deals in spare parts in Kailash Park area.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia slammed the BJP after the incident.
"Do Modi and Amit Shah want Kejriwal to be murdered?" Sisodia tweeted, attacking the prime minister and the BJP chief.
He said the BJP could not break the morale of Kejriwal and could not defeat him in elections in five years despite putting in all its might. "Now you want him removed from your way like this. You cowards! This Kejriwal is your end," he said in a tweet in Hindi.
AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj too alleged that the BJP might be behind the attack and asserted the incident would not deter the spirit of the party.
"Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal got attacked during the roadshow. We condemned this cowardly act. This opposition sponsored attack cannot stop the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi," he said.
BJP Delhi president Manoj Tiwari condemned the incident and said the AAP might have "scripted" the incident.
"We do not support violence and condemn such action by anyone. But I have doubt as to why such incidents happen with Kejriwal in election time only.
"I doubt this incident may have been scripted by Kejriwal himself," Tiwari alleged.
Kejriwal was holding the roadshow in favour of New Delhi candidate Brijesh Goyal who is contesting from the Lok Sabha seat.
This is the second time Kejriwal has been slapped in a public rally. Earlier, he was also attacked with ink and spices.
Suresh, 33, and he deals in spare parts in Kailash Park.
#WATCH: A man slaps Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during his roadshow in Moti Nagar area. (Note: Abusive language) pic.twitter.com/laDndqOSL4
— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2019
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
