It was a regular public interaction at Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s residence on Wednesday morning. Soon, it spiralled into chaos when a man posing as a complainant physically assaulted her, taking the gathering by surprise.
The attacker was identified as 41-year-old Rajesh Bhai Khimji Bhai Sakariya from Rajkot. Security personnel immediately apprehended him.
While his family claims he was mentally distressed over a recent Supreme Court order on stray dogs, political leaders have hinted at a possible conspiracy, leading to multiple and conflicting explanations for the assault.
“My son loves dogs. He was angry after the Supreme Court’s order against stray dogs. And left for Delhi soon after. We don’t know anything else,” Sakariya’s mother, Bhanu, told the media.
For the uninitiated, the incident occurred shortly after 8 am during a weekly ‘Jan Sunwai’ hearing outside the Chief Minister’s new Civil Lines residence. Gupta, who has been holding these open sessions ever since taking office, was attending to residents’ grievances when the assault took place.
Reports published a version presented by eyewitnesses. The assailant reportedly came in a rickshaw. He merged with the morning crowd—no one had the faintest inkling of what was about to unfold.
Initially, he presented himself as an ordinary petitioner. Carrying a stack of documents, he approached the Chief Minister. He reportedly sought her intervention in the case of a jailed relative.
What seemed like a routine interaction turned into something nasty. He raised his decibel levels, struck the Chief Minister across the face, and then lunged at her in full view of the stunned gathering.
Gupta lost balance on account of the impact. However, she did not fall as there was a wall behind her. Soon, the man grabbed her by the hair.
Security personnel intervened swiftly, first striking Sakariya’s hand to break his grip before overpowering him.
The attacker, who reportedly has a criminal record, was then taken to the Civil Lines police station. The Chief Minister was escorted for a medical check-up following the assault. An official response from Delhi Police is still awaited, though unnamed officials have confirmed that an inquiry will be launched into the security breach. Delhi Police Commissioner SBK Singh is expected to monitor the investigation.
While some eyewitnesses alleged that the attacker appeared intoxicated at the time, this has not been confirmed.
The episode has expectedly caused a furore, with the ruling party hinting at a sinister motive. Accusing the opposition as the hands behind the plot, Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa was quoted as saying, “Rivals cannot tolerate the Chief Minister’s work on the ground and an investigation is on to find out who is behind the attacker.”
Former Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi told media outlets: “The attack on Delhi’s Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is highly condemnable. In a democracy, there is a place for disagreement and protest, but there is no place for violence. Hoping that the Delhi Police will take the strictest action against the culprits. It is hoped that the Chief Minister is completely safe.”
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