Man throws black paint on Kejriwal in press conference

Drama was witnessed on Monday at Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal’s press conference, when a man, claiming to be an Anna Hazare supporter and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activist from Maharashtra, threw black paint on him and other party members.

Nachiketa Vaghrekar claimed he reveres Hazare as his guru and accused Kejriwal of “betraying Hazare and the people”. He entered the venue and threw a can of black paint on Kejriwal and colleagues Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, lawyers Prashant Bhushan and Shanti Bhushan, while shouting “Anna Hazare Zindabad!”

A small quantity of paint fell on Kejriwal’s face and on Sisodia, Bhushan and Singh. AAP activists immediately pulled Vaghrekar, who claimed to be general secretary of the BJP’s Ahmednagar unit, out of the conference hall. (ASSET WATCH)

Kejriwal, without naming any party, said, “It was done by those whose vested interests were being hit due to AAP’s growing popularity.” He claimed the position of both BJP and Congress was bad in the Delhi Assembly elections.  

AAP leader Kumar Vishwas termed it an act by the BJP out of “frustration”. The BJP said it was “low-grade” politics.

Kejriwal called the press conference to demand an independent and open probe into its accounts and donations from Hazare, who had written to him on Sunday that he was getting reports of misuse of funds and his name in the Delhi elections.  “I would request Annaji to conduct a thorough probe by anyone he wants, like Santosh Hedge or anyone else, and the report should be made public within 48 hours, so neither Congress nor BJP could raise suspicion over funds,” Kejriwal said. “If I am found guilty, I would not contest elections. But if I come clean, then Hazare will have to come and campaign for our party,” he added.

Hazare had written to Kejriwal saying he had received reports about his name being used in the election campaign, on use of funds collected during the earlier anti-graft movement and on implementation of a Janlokpal Bill.

Hazare had also questioned his old colleague that he had also come to know that party had collected fund with the help of a SIM card procured in his name.