In Lucknow to campaign for Congress candidates, Kanhaiya Kumar was allegedly attacked during a programme at the UP Congress headquarters in Mall Avenue on Tuesday.
A youth allegedly threw a liquid mixed with ink at Kumar while he was proceeding towards the stage.
However, Congress leaders claimed that “acid” was thrown at Kanhaiya Kumar and not ink but the move was foiled and in the process, some drops fell on some youths standing nearby.
Even as the incident caused a stampede-like situation at the UPPCC headquarters, the accused youth was caught by the police and the injured were sent to the nearest hospital for treatment.
ADCP (Central) Raghavendra Mishra said that the accused was quizzed in police custody wherein he revealed his identity as Devansh Bajpayee of Chowk.
Admitting that he had mixed chemicals in the ink, the accused told the police that he attacked Kanhaiya as the leader made statements which were anti-national in nature.
“Kanhaiya is a traitor. Why should his programme be held in Lucknow? How can someone who is against the country be our?” he asked nonchalantly.
The high drama at UPCC headquarters unfolded while people were waiting for Kanhaiya Kumar, who arrived late in the programme. As he moved towards the stage, a group of youths threw a chemical-like liquid at him, causing an uproar. In the melee, Devansh Bajpayee was caught by Kanhaiya’s supporters and handed over to the people.
Congressmen alleged that the act was the handiwork of workers of Bharatiya Janata Party’s frontal outfit Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad as they wanted to disrupt the party’s function.
It was alleged that the BJP was scared of Kanhaiya Kumar and hence the attack was planned to stop him from campaigning in Lucknow.
On its part, the BJP charged that the attendance was very thin at Kanhaiya’s programme and that was why the Congressmen themselves enacted the drama, as a face saving measure.
This is not the first time that Kanhaiya Kumar’s event has been involved in controversy. In 2018, a man had thrown ink at Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani and Kumar in Gwalior. The two were in Gwalior to address a seminar at the Chamber of Commerce Bhawan as part of their ‘Samvidhan Bachao’ protest. Mukesh Pal of the Hindu Sena allegedly threw ink at both when they were about to address the seminar.
Later, while embarking on a door-to-door campaigning for party candidates in Lucknow, Kanhaiya Kumar said that under the leadership of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the assembly elections were going to be big.
“Since the incident of Hathras, Unnao and Lakhimpur Kheri took place, Congress has been on the streets seeking justice. Those who did not even build the country were selling the country. Congress has built India, so it is saving the country from such people,” he said.
On Tuesday, the Congress released a list of four candidates for the upcoming state elections. The party fielded Shakeel Ahmed Noori from Pilibhit constituency, Azimushhhan from Shahabad, Neha Tiwari replaced Gayatri Tiwari in Kalyanpur (Kanpur) and Adishakti Dikshit will contest from Tindwari.
Sources said that Bikru widow Khushi Dubey’s mother Gayatri Tiwari refused to contest the assembly elections from Kalyanpur as her name was missing from the voters list. Subsequently, the Congress replaced her with her daughter Neha Tiwari (Khushi Dubey’s younger sister) as the party candidate. Neha is the younger sister of Khushi Dubey. Khushi’s mother felt that she would not be able to campaign vigorously and hence changed her mind.
“We do not wish to do anything that will weaken our fight for Khushi’s release. Neha is better positioned to fight the elections and raise Khushi’s issue,” said a member of the family.