Manoj Tiwari carried out attack on me as people have rejected him: Kanhaiya

INDIA bloc's North East Delhi candidate Kanhaiya Kumar on Saturday claimed the constituency's sitting MP Manoj Tiwari Kumar carried out an attack on him as he has realised that the people of the constituency are no longer accepting him.

Kumar's accusation against his BJP rival in the Lok Sabha elections came a day after he was allegedly assaulted and attacked with ink by some people. The incident happened outside the AAP office in the New Usmanpur area as he was coming out after a party meeting with local Councillor Chhaya Sharma.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Kumar accused Tiwari of trying to instigate people against him though false rumours and doctored videos.

"Instead of showing his work, ever since I was nominated as the candidate for northeast Delhi, the MP (Tiwari) is continuously lying, circulating doctored videos, and trying to instigate the common people."

He further alleged that the sitting North East Delhi MP did not have even 10 projects to show in his name in the last 10 years.

"I feel that somewhere he has started to believe that perhaps the people of the constituency are not accepting him. That is why instead of answering the questions we are raising on behalf of the people of North East Delhi, he is carrying out such attacks," Kumar alleged.

Kumar said people from across the country had expressed concern after the "attack" on him. He asked Congress workers and his supporters to not worry for him as he was "fine".

"Manoj Tiwari is the richest candidate and I am the poorest. We do not have money, but we have courage," he added.

Urging people to cast votes in the Lok Sabha polls, the INDIA bloc candidate said, "I request everyone that this is their last weapon. They will mislead the common people so that people's attention is diverted from the poll issues. But you shouldn't divert your attention."
 

Meanwhile, accusing Kumar of promoting "tukde-tukde" (divisive) ideology throughout the nation, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor on Saturday said the day the Congress gave Kumar the party ticket, it was clear that he would have to face public opposition.

The youth of North East Delhi are nourished by the principles of nationalism, whether they are Brahmins, Gujjars, Yadavs, or youth from any other caste, they are not ready to tolerate the anti-national ideology, Kapoor claimed.

"Kumar is a symbol of the divisive tukde-tukde thought throughout the country, and wherever he goes, this divisive, anti-national image will go with him," he said.

Due to this divisive image, in 2019, the people of his home district Begusarai rejected him, and now, whether they are youth from Seelampur, Mustafabad, or Timarpur Ghonda, all will ensure that Kumar loses his security deposit, Kapoor stated.

Kumar, in a statement, had said the attack on him on Friday was ordered by his rival contender Manoj Tiwari.

He had said Tiwari is frustrated with his rising popularity and that is why he sent "goons" to attack him.

Polling in the national capital will take place on May 25 in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections.