Sharad Pawar assaulted in Delhi

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was assaulted in New Delhi a few minutes ago. Pawar, who was attending a public function in NDMC convention center in New Delhi, was assaulted by one Harvinder Singh. Singh had attacked Sukh Ram last week following the latter’s conviction in the 1993 telecom scam. He was heard shouting, “Sab ke sab chor hai saale (everybody is a thief)”.

Singh allegedly walked into the convention center posing as a member of the audience and slapped Sharad Pawar, while he was on his way to the dais. Justifying his action, he said that he is upset with rampant corruption in the country, and that he will keep attacking politicians for their double standards and hypocrisy. He slapped Pawar because he said he was upset with Pawar’s statement on inflation.

Singh has confirmed his association with a right-wing group. Following his assault on Sukh Ram on 19 November, he was taken into custody and let off with a warning. There are no provisions in the CrPC to prosecute someone for minor physical assault.

While being taken away by the police he kept shouting that he will continue hitting politicians and kept repeating Bhagat Singh’s name. Singh also said that he would have killed Pawar had he not been stopped.

“I came planned to the event to slap the minister,” Singh told reporters who had gone to cover the literary function. Wielding a small kirpan, the youth said things could have been worse but for the observance of martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur today.

Later, Pawar reacted to the incident calling it stupid and that he did not make much out of it.

When asked whether he would press charges against the attacker, he said it was for police to deal with the matter. Pawar said he saw the youth standing in the midst of a group of journalists and could have taken advantage of the fact that he has very little security.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to Pawar after the incident and condemned the attack.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also said that the attack on Pawar was “totally condemnable”. Political parties condemned the attack on Pawar saying it was not acceptable in a democracy. Opposition parties, however, felt that government should be serious about tackling corruption and price rise which are of concern to people.

But Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi blamed BJP statement on Tuesday that continued price rise in the “absence” of any concrete steps may become a reason for the people to vent their anger in the form of violence.

“BJP has given a statement. This statement is responsible for today’s incident,” he told reporters. BJP spokesman Ravishankar Prasad condemned the attack and said the attacker should be punished. He also said the government has not been doing nothing on the price situation and the price of gas, petroleum, food and vegetables has been going up.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav also spoke out against violence and said the attacker should be punished. The government also should take the price situation seriously, he said.