Unfazed by slipper attack, Kejriwal urges for peaceful talks with offender

Lucknow: In the second attack on a key Team Anna member in a week, a man threw a slipper at Arvind Kejriwal  last night when the social activist was proceeding for an event here as part of their anti-corruption campaign.

Just a day after the attack, Kejriwal wanted the police to release his attacker and wanted to hold talks in the open and peacefully. In an interview to CNN-IBN, he said “We should talk to attacker peacefully.”

The slipper attack was condemned as unacceptable and unfortunate by Team Anna and political parties with Anna Hazare saying he is not deterred by the incident and that his group is ready to face ‘bullets’ to eradicate graft.

The man identified as Jitendra Pathak of Jalaun district hurled the chappal at Kejriwal after he alighted from a vehicle and was about to reach the dais at Jhulelal park.

The man, who was stated to be around 40 years, claimed that he was not associated with any party.

He was quickly overpowered and allegedly roughed up by volunteers before being rescued and detained by the police in a temple within the park vicinity. He has been taken under preventive custody.

Kejriwal said that the team has no rivalry or hatred towards the ruling UPA or Congress. PTI

Team Anna core committee member Sanjay Singh told reporters that Kejriwal  had “pardoned” his attacker.

Prashant Bhushan, a key member, was attacked by members of a right-wing group in his Supreme Court chambers On October 12, allegedly over his remarks advocating plebiscite in Kashmir.

An unfazed Kejriwal went ahead with his scheduled programme telling his audience that if Jan Lokpal Bill was not passed in the winter session of the Parliament then Hazare would come to Uttar Pradesh and appeal to people not to vote for Congress in the forthcoming assembly elections.

Kejriwal said that the team has no rivalry or hatred towards the ruling UPA or Congress.

“Because they are in the Centre, we have to say that if the bill is not passed people will not vote for Congress,” he said, adding, “Once the bill is passed, we will take out protest back and people can vote to any party.”

Kejriwal’s assailant accused the activist of misleading people on the issue of corruption.

“We are checking the details of the man, who has disclosed his name is Jitendra Pathak, hailing from Jalaun district,” SP (Trans Gomti) Nitin Tiwari said.

Tiwari said that according to initial probe Pathak was not associated with any organisation and his antecedents were being checked.

“Whatever facts Pathak has told us, he took the step as he does not agree ideologically with Anna Hazare’s campaign,” the SP said.

“As of now we have taken him into preventive custody and are examining what action can be taken.

Tiwari said that initially it has emerged that Pathak misbehaved with Kejariwal.

“In the initial investigation matter of hurling slipper has come to our knowledge,” he said.

Condemning the attack on Kejriwal, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said vested interests against their anti-graft campaign were behind the incident.

DIG DK Thakur said  no FIR has being filed against Pathak in the absence of a complaint from Kejriwal.

According to Thakur, Kejriwal’s attacker has claimed that he was a former Congress worker when he was a member of the party’s Seva Dal between 2006 and 2009. He said the claim is being verified.

Pathak said he carried out the attack since he wanted to “insult” Kejriwal and that he did it on his own volition.

“I assaulted Kejriwal as I wasn’t allowed to question him on his stand. I wanted to insult him. I wanted to ask why Team Anna is still campaigning against Congress,” he added.

Meanwhile, All India Congress Seva Dal chief Mahendra Doshi denied that Jitendra Pathak was associated with Congress or Seva Dal.

“We checked up and found that he was not associated with either district or state unit of Seva Dal”, Doshi said.

He said “as a discplined unit, we condemn the attack on Kejriwal”.

Watch video:Arvind Kejriwal blamed political motives and influence for the recent attacks on Team Anna

Agencies