In the wake of the cyclonic storm, which triggered strong winds and heavy rain, flight operations were suspended for 16 hours at Chennai Airport.
A day after an unsettling attack during a public rally in Delhi, AAP chief and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal voiced his dismay, asking, “What was my fault?” The incident, which occurred during a public rally in Malviya Nagar, saw a man splash liquid on Mr Kejriwal on Saturday.
Speaking at a press conference today, Mr Kejriwal targeted the Centre, particularly Home Minister Amit Shah, over the law and order situation in the national capital.
“I had this expectation that Amit Shah will take some action after I raised the issue (law & order). But, instead of that, I was being attacked during my padyatra. Liquid was thrown at me, it was harmless, but it could have been harmful,” Mr Kejriwal said.
The AAP chief linked the attack to issues of governance, questioning the state of law and order in the capital. “We were only raising issues of public safety and crime. If you can, arrest the gangsters; why target us instead?” he asked.
The incident, which AAP claims was an attempt to set Mr Kejriwal on fire, unfolded as he shook hands with supporters during his rally. According to Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, the attacker had both a matchbox and a liquid that smelled like spirit.
“A man threw spirit on him. We could smell it, and there was an attempt to burn him alive,” Mr Bharadwaj alleged, adding that alert volunteers thwarted what could have been a disastrous situation. Mr Bharadwaj also accused the attacker of being linked to the BJP.
The BJP was quick to refute AAP’s allegations, calling the incident a “publicity stunt.” Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva dismissed AAP’s claims, suggesting the episode was orchestrated to garner sympathy. “Delhiites are asking why such incidents happen only with him,” Mr Sachdeva said.
The accused, identified as Ashok Jha, a 41-year-old bus marshal employed by the Delhi Transport Corporation, has been detained. The Delhi Police, which comes under the Union Home Ministry, stated that Jha had acted out of frustration over not receiving his salary for six months.
During interrogation, Jha allegedly claimed that he had donated to AAP during its formation but was disillusioned by what he called “fake promises.”
According to police, the liquid was water, not spirit, as AAP alleged.
Arvind Kejriwal claimed that MLA Naresh Balyan, arrested for extortion, was victimized for filing complaints against gangster Kapil Sangwan. Balyan had reported extortion demands from Sangwan, and Kejriwal criticized the arrest as intimidation against those speaking out against criminals. Delhi police allege Balyan’s involvement with Sangwan, based on an audio clip.