AAP leader asks Delhi top cop for a detailed probe into slap attack on Arvind Kejriwal

Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh Monday said he met Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik and sought a detailed probe into the recent attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a roadshow in the New Delhi constituency.

During the roadshow on Saturday, Mr Kejriwal was slapped by a man. AAP has alleged that the BJP is behind the "cowardly act".

The AAP leader said Mr Kejriwal has been attacked nine times and it indicates that a bigger attack on him is impending. In his meeting with Mr Patnaik on Monday, he sought a detailed inquiry.

Sanjay Singh also alleged that Mr Kejriwal was attacked after he publicly questioned ties between PM Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Mr Singh also questioned the silence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi on the matter.

"All opposition parties condemned the attack but Rahul Gandhi was silent. It means both the BJP and the Congress are involved in the conspiracy," he said.

Read: FIR Registered Against Man Who Slapped Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal During Roadshow In Moti Nagar

Mr Singh said AAP has conveyed its concerns to the police commissioner in writing. The AAP chief was standing in an open jeep when the accused, identified as Suresh, jumped onto the vehicle and slapped the chief minister before being pulled down.

Delhi police said preliminary interrogation has revealed that Suresh is a scrap dealer in the area, who was an AAP supporter and used to organise rallies and meeting for the party.

Suresh told police that over time, he got disenchanted with AAP due to the behaviour of its leaders and he was angered further due to the party''s "distrust in the armed forces".

However, Sanjay Singh, in his letter to the police chief, said Mr Kejriwal was never disrespectful towards the armed forces so the attacker's reasons do not make sense. It was not the first time that Mr Kejriwal was assaulted during a roadshow or a gathering.

In November 2018, a man tried to smear chilli powder on the Delhi Chief Minister's face inside Delhi Secretariat.

Mr Kejriwal has also been heckled and physically assaulted several times.

In February 2016, some people attacked his car with iron rods and sticks in Punjab's Ludhiana. A month before that, a member of the Aam Aadmi Party, Arjun Arora, threw ink at Mr Kejriwal. During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, some people threw eggs and ink at Mr Kejriwal and other AAP leaders while they were campaigning in the Varanasi constituency.