New Delhi, October 18: In a shocking development, a youth identified as Jitendra Pathak on Tuesday attacked noted RTI activist and key Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal in Lucknow.
As per reports, the youth attacked Kejriwal when he was moving towards the podium to address a rally. According to eye witnesses, the youth hurled a slipper on Kejriwal and tried to hit him from behind.
However, the youth, dressed in a yellow coloured kurta, was immediately overpowered by the volunteers of the India Agaisnt Corruption (IAC) and dragged out of the rally.
Mr Bhushan had said that a referendum in Kashmir is needed to decide the state’s political future. Anna has said his team does not subscribe to Mr Bhushan’s views. The matter is reported to have caused a rift within Team Anna, though publicly, the activists have denied this.
The attacker hails from Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh andhas been handed over to police for questioning.
The youth is reported to be upset with Team Anna’s continuous lowering of stance on corruption.
When quizzed by reporters as to why he attacked Kejriwal, he said, “He (Kejriwal) and his team have been misleading the country on the issue of corruption. I have hit him because he didn’t say anything on corruption during his meeting in Banda.”
It appears that the man in question has been following Kejriwal’s movement in the recent past.
Meanwhile, former IPS officer and key Team Anna member Kiran Bedi has strongly condemned the attack on Kejriwal and demanded a through probe into the incident.
In her reaction to the incident, Bedi said, “It is an attack on free speech against corruption and an attempt to scuttle people’ voice. We demand a thorough probe into the incident”
Attack on Kejriwal comes nearly a week after another Team Anna member and noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan was assaulted by three youths in his chamber inside the Supreme Court for his alleged controversial remarks on Kashmir.
—-Agencies