AA day after an unsettling incident during a public rally in Malviya Nagar, Arvind Kejriwal, the chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and former Delhi Chief Minister, expressed his dismay, questioning, “What was my fault?” The attack took place on Saturday when an individual threw a liquid on Kejriwal while he was engaging with supporters during his padyatra.
In a press conference on Sunday, Kejriwal directed his frustration toward the Centre, particularly Home Minister Amit Shah, for the deteriorating law and order situation in Delhi. He expressed his disappointment at the lack of action following his repeated concerns about public safety. “I had hoped that Amit Shah would take some action after I raised the issue of law and order. Instead, I was attacked during my rally. While the liquid thrown at me was harmless, it could have been harmful,” Kejriwal said.
The AAP chief linked the attack to broader issues of governance, questioning the state of law enforcement in the capital. He further emphasized, “We were only raising issues about public safety and crime. If you can arrest the gangsters, why target us instead?”
Aslo read: AAP MLA Naresh Balyan arrested in extortion case, to be produced before court
According to AAP, the attack was an attempt to set Kejriwal on fire. Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed the attacker had both a matchbox and a liquid that smelled like spirit. Bharadwaj said, “A man threw spirit on him. We could smell it, and it was an attempt to burn him alive.” Volunteers present at the rally acted swiftly to prevent a potential disaster. Bharadwaj also accused the attacker of having links to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
However, the BJP rejected these allegations, with Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva calling the incident a “publicity stunt” orchestrated to gain sympathy. “Delhiites are asking why such incidents happen only with him,” Sachdeva remarked.
The police have identified the attacker as Ashok Jha, a 41-year-old bus marshal employed by the Delhi Transport Corporation. Jha has been detained, and authorities have stated that his frustration over not receiving his salary for six months led to the incident. During questioning, Jha reportedly claimed that he had supported AAP in its early days but grew disillusioned by what he called the party’s “fake promises.” Police also clarified that the liquid thrown was water, not spirit as initially alleged by AAP.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal also addressed the arrest of AAP MLA Naresh Balyan, who was detained by the Delhi Police in connection with an extortion case. Kejriwal defended Balyan, claiming he was being falsely implicated by gangsters. “He was the victim of gangsters and had received ransom calls, which he reported multiple times,” Kejriwal asserted.
Balyan, the MLA from Uttam Nagar, was summoned for questioning by the Delhi Police Crime Branch. Following hours of interrogation, he was arrested in relation to an extortion case filed last year. Police claimed that an audio clip allegedly featuring Balyan and gangster Kapil Sangwan discussing extortion payments had surfaced online. Investigations are ongoing, with further interrogations planned.
