Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was responsible for the attack on him during a roadshow and claimed he was targeted because he had been lately questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'relationship' with Pakistan.
The Aam Aadmi Party supremo, at a press conference held at the party headquarters, said this was not just an attack on him but an assault on the people of Delhi and the mandate they had given.
The BJP rubbished the claim as Kejriwal's 'propaganda'.
Kejriwal said, "This is the ninth attack on me and fifth one since I took charge as the chief minister of Delhi. And, for any attack on me in future, BJP will be responsible."
"They (the BJP) do not want common man to enter politics so we are being targeted. Our only fault is that we have tried to bring development in Delhi, in education, health and other sectors. They are feeling insecure that people in other states, might start asking questions to the party, on such real issues," he said.
Kejriwal was slapped allegedly by a disgruntled AAP supporter during a roadshow in Moti Nagar on Saturday.
"For this attack on me, the BJP and Prime Minister Modi is responsible. The response from the police after the incident was scripted.
"The police is not responsible for this, they were merely following the 'script' given by the ruling party," he alleged.
"The people of Delhi will take revenge for this act," Kejriwal said.
He also dismissed the charge that the attacker was an AAP supporter as claimed by the police.
AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj, who was present during the press conference, said, "We have investigated from our end, and he is not from our party, as claimed by the police."
AAP rejects all the charged levelled by the police in response to this incident, instead if taking needed action against the culprit.
"It was cognisable offence, and this is a person holding a constitutional post of CM. Will police take action against the accused when he files a complaint," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters.
Kejriwal hitting out at the Centre, alleged that 'signs of a dictator' can be seen in such circumstances, 'but we will not be cowed down by it, and out voices shall not be silenced'.
"I also wondered what have I said in the last few days that may have angered some people. And I realised in various interviews to media, I have questioned the link between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan.
"In last 70 years or so, no premier of the neighbouring country has said that a particular candidate should win and become the PM again. What is going on," he said.
Delhi Police said Saturday that preliminary interrogation has revealed that 33-year-old Suresh, a scrap dealer in the area, was a supporter of AAP and he used to work as organiser of its rallies and meetings.
An inquiry by a Deputy Commissioner of Police-level officer has been ordered to find out how this person was allowed to be in the reception/proximate group, Additional PRO, Delhi Police Anil Mittal had said.
Rejecting the chief minister's allegations, senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the man who had attacked Kejriwal had himself said that he was a AAP worker.
"These kind of attacks have happened with him ten times. Everytime this is his method. Whenever he is behind he gets himself attacked. That is his propaganda," he said.
The Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta of the BJP, at a separate press conference here, alleged that Kejriwal was 'doing drama' to boost his election campaign.
He is trying to give the incident a political angle to gain sympathy even though the attacker was a disgruntle AAP worker, Gupta said.
Former Delhi chief minister and Congress's candidate from North-East Delhi, Sheila Dixit, condemned the attack and said: "Such attacks should not happen no matter who is the leader."
