The start of the second leg of Deoria to Delhi Kisan Yatra, saw a shoe being hurled at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi during a road show in Sitapur on Monday afternoon.
Thousands of people thronged Sitapur to welcome the Congress leader. Rahul Gandhi, riding on top of an open vehicle, was targeting my the leather missile but looked away after the object missed him. The incident however could not stop Rahul’s road show.
Reacting to the incident, Rahul termed it as an effort by RSS and BJP to derail the Yatra. “I am not afraid of RSS and BJP. Even if they indulge in hurling shoes at me, I will not go back. love and brotherhood is with me and all hate is with you,” he asserted.
later, Additional SP of Sitapur OP Singh told the media that the youth threw the shoe was taken into custody by the police. The detenu identified as Hariom Mishra of Hargaon. Two of his accomplice identified as Ashish Nishad and Anuj Saxena were absconding after the incident. An FIR was registered at Kotwali police station and Mishra was quizzed there.
Speaking to the media, accused Hariom Mishra claimed himself to be a local TV journalist and said that he protested as the ongoing Congress Yatra was merely a drama and the party always ignored farmers during its 60-year-long regime at the Centre.
Refusing to admit his mistake, Mishra alleged that Rahul had no time to express condolence for the martyrs and the previous UPA government too had never cared to counter terrorism in the country. “Had I not been arrested, I would have thrown a second shoe at him,” he stated.