The man who threw the shoe at Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested. (PTI photo)
Highlights
- The man threw a shoe and a CD at Delhi CM, it narrowly missed him
- Attacker believed to be from AAP's breakaway faction Aam Aadmi Sena
- AAP Minister alleges the man called a Delhi BJP leader before the attack
A political activist hurled a shoe at Arvind Kejriwal this afternoon when the Delhi Chief Minister had just begun giving out details of phase 2 of the odd-even scheme which will run again from April 15. The shoe landed near Mr Kejriwal, missing him.
The shoe-thrower, Ved Prakash Sharma, said he was the Aam Aadmi Sena, a lesser known breakaway faction of Mr Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party. He was whisked away soon after he hurled the shoe and a CD at Mr Kejriwal.
The attacker alleged a scam in the government's CNG engine certification program. (PTI photo)
Before throwing the shoe, the man was seen shouting and seeking Mr Kejriwal's response to a sting operation on the 'CNG fitness scam'.
As soon as he hurled the shoe, he was overpowered by unidentified men and slapped. He was then taken away by the police and questioned before being arrested. In January, a woman named Bhawna Arora had thrown ink on the chief minister alleging the odd-even scheme was implemented as part of a "CNG scam."
Arvind Kejriwal continued with the press conference after the shoe attack (PTI photo).
Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra alleged the man had called a BJP leader before the attack. "Call details of Ved Prakash Sharma should be probed. He called BJP Delhi leader right before attacking," Mr Mishra said. "We have seen many such attacks. We are not scared of it."
Mr Kejriwal and Delhi's transport minister Gopal Rai were addressing a press conference on the odd-even scheme for cars in Delhi that kicks in from April 15. After the man was whisked away, they continued giving details of the scheme which will be enforced for a second time in Delhi.
The last round of the scheme was implemented from January 1 to January 15 under which nearly half the petrol and diesel cars were taken off Delhi's roads on alternate days depending on their registration numbers.