Arvind Kejriwal was slapped during a roadshow in Delhi (File)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday claimed the BJP would have him killed by his personal security guards, setting up a confrontation with the Delhi police that provide security cover to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief. The remark comes weeks after Mr Kejriwal was slapped by a man despite security cover during a roadshow in the national capital.
"The BJP would get me murdered by my own PSO (Personal Security Officer) one day like Indira Gandhi. My own security officers report to BJP," Mr Kejriwal said in a television interview in Punjab.
Mr Kejriwal was atop an open jeep when a man wearing a red t-shirt jumped onto the vehicle and slapped Mr Kejriwal before being pulled off the jeep. The police claimed the attacker was a disgruntled AAP worker.
"What does it mean, if a Congress worker is angry with Captain saab (Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh) can he hit him, if a BJP worker is angry with Modi ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi), can he hit him?" Mr Kejriwal added.
The Delhi police have reacted on Mr Kejriwal's claims.
"The unit has been providing security cover commendably for several high dignitaries of all political parties. The security personnel posted in the security team of honourable CM, Delhi are equally well committed to their duties," a senior official told news agency PTI.
Leader of opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta has condemned Mr Kejriwal's remarks.
"On May 4, before he was slapped, Kejriwal had told his Liasoning Officer to remove security from his vehicle. His instruction is entered in Roznamcha, which I had exposed earlier. After failing to get political advantage of this incident in the elections, Kejriwal is now saying that his PSO reports to the BJP," Mr Gupta alleged.
Mr Kejriwal had triggered a controversy in 2015 when he described the police as thulla at an interview. The comment had landed him in trouble with the police filing a defamation case against him for the remark. Last year, he was discharged in the case.
This was not the first time the AAP chief has levelled such grave allegation on the party and its leaders. In 2016, he had said in a video that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was "so frustrated that he can get me killed," in a 10-minute video.
Mr Kejriwal's party had stormed into power in 2015 with an unprecedented mandate in Delhi, winning 67 out of 70 seats. He has accused the centre of stalling several of the welfare schemes planned by his government.
With inputs from PTI