Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday alleged that the man held for attacking Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal wanted to set him afire after throwing spirit on him on him during his Padyatra campaign.
In a post on X, Bharadwaj also alleged that the attacker was connected with the BJP.
On Saturday evening, Kejriwal was greeting people standing behind a cordon when the man approached him and splashed some liquid on him, following which the security personnel swiftly overpowered him. Kejriwal and the security personnel accompanying him were later seen wiping their faces.
"A man threw spirit on him (Kejriwal). We could smell it. And there was an attempt to burn him (Kejriwal) alive.
"The man was carrying spirit in one hand and a matchbox in the other hand. He threw spirit that fell on Kejriwal and me... but he could not start the fire. Our alert volunteers and the public caught him," Bharadwaj claimed in a press conference.
The attacker was beaten up by people present there before he was taken away by the police from the spot.
Targeting the BJP, the AAP leader alleged that the BJP is resorting to dishonest means as it fears a third consecutive defeat in the upcoming Delhi polls. -- PTI