The Delhi Police have released a statement after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was allegedly attacked at the Secretariat on Tuesday with chilli powder.
As per the statement, the chilli powder, which was found on the floor of the Delhi Secretariat, was not thrown but had fallen "unintentionally" from accused Anil Kumar Sharma's pocket. The accused has already been detained by the police for questioning.
"Sharma had gone to the Chief Minister's office to submit a complaint with a staff member's reference. After handing over the complaint to the minister, he bent down to touch his feet during which Kejriwal's security persons intervened and his spectacles fell down," reads the statement.
"Subsequently, security personnel moved him aside and found him carrying a pouch in his hand which apparently contained chilli powder, which later got torn," the statement read.
New Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Madhur Verma said that Sharma had entered the premises with an authentic pass. "Public Grievances Cell gave him the entry. He met the Chief Minister on the third floor and gave him a slip. The Chief Minister passed the slip and then the man tried to attack him. A packet of chilli powder fell from his hand. Further probe is underway," he told ANI.
While the police version suggests an unintentional incident, a number of political leaders, including members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have challenged the police.
"Bharatiya Janata Party's Central government has created an atmosphere where anti-social elements are being instigated to attack Chief Minister Kejriwal. Attackers know they will get all protection from the Central government," said AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj.
Raghav Chaddha, another spokesperson of AAP, alleged that the Delhi Police had no intention of taking action against the attacker. "The attackers are being provided full protection by the Delhi Police. The police have no intention to take firm action against the attacker on the Chief Minister," said Chaddha.
National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah, too, questioned the police's version and wrote "How does chilli powder that 'falls from his hand' defy gravity & fall upwards into Arvind Kejriwal ji's eyes?" on Twitter.
However, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, an MLA from Delhi's Rajouri Garden, called it a "drama orchestrated by Arvind Kejriwal himself."
"This is nothing more than a drama. Kejriwal has orchestrated this scene to seek media attention. He had planned this himself for cheap publicity. In the past we have seen him do a drama when the ink has been thrown at him or a shoe has been thrown at him, these are all his self-created controversies. Nobody can enter the secretariat without a pass and the security also is his own," Sirsa told ANI.
This is not the first time that Kejriwal has been assaulted. He has been attacked with slippers and ink and has even been slapped in the past.
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