Delhi Polls: AAP, BJP spar over "attack" on Arvind Kejriwal's convoy, Congress condemns violence

New Delhi [India], January 18 : Another political row started between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party after former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's car was allegedly attacked on Saturday during election campaigning in the New Delhi Assembly constituency.
AAP accused the BJP "goons" of attacking its national convenor, by sharing a video on their official X handle purportedly showing a stone being thrown at Kejriwal's car.
The party claimed that Kejriwal was attacked by the "people" of BJP candidate Parvesh Verma who was also campaigning at that time.
"Fearing defeat, BJP panicked, got its goons to attack Arvind Kejriwal While BJP candidate Pravesh Verma was campaigning, goons of BJP candidate Pravesh Verma attacked Arvind Kejriwal with bricks and stones and tried to hurt him so that he could not campaign. BJP people, Kejriwal ji is not going to be scared of your cowardly attack, the people of Delhi will give you a befitting reply," AAP wrote on X.
On the other hand, countering AAP's claims, BJP candidate from New Delhi seat-Parvesh Verma alleged that the former Chief Minister's vehicle "ran over" BJP workers. He alleged that Kejriwal's car ran over three youths, in what, he called an "attempt to murder"
BJP candidate from the New Delhi assembly seat, Verma, also alleged that Punjab Police assaulted three unemployed youths, who were asking questions from Kejriwal.
"When AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal was campaigning door-to-door near Lal Bahadur Sadan, people of New Delhi Assembly constituency were asking questions to AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal about employment etc," Verma told reporters.
"When three residents named Vishal, Abhishek and Rohit who are unemployed tried to ask questions to AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Police beat them up and a worker's phone was broken," he added.
The former BJP MP further alleged that Kejriwal "signalled" his driver to "crush" the three youths. Verma added that he, as well as the three victims will file an FIR for 'attempt to murder' case' against Kejriwal.
"AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal's car hit the three youths and the driver of the car applied brakes after seeing the three youths but Arvind Kejriwal signaled the driver to crush them...They have been injured... This is an attempt to murder and I am going to the police station...The three youths will also file an FIR and a case of attempt to murder will also be registered," Verma added.
Later, Verma also visited Lady Hardinge Medical College to meet the injured persons.
Meanwhile, Congress candidate from New Delhi Assembly Sandeep Dikshit on Saturday condemned the alleged incident and said there is "no place" for violence in a democracy.
Speaking with ANI about the incident, Dikshit said, "We condemn this, violence has no place in democracy. I hope the police will investigate and only then will it be known what kind of attack it was."
Dikshit urged Delhi Police to provide more security to Arvind Kejriwal and further attacked both AAP and BJP for deviating from 'real' issues.
"Violence should not happen. I hope the police will give him more security. Both the parties (AAP and BJP) do not talk about the real issues. Both parties are not getting any votes, We fight with civility, talk with civility, our weapons are thoughts not stones," Dikshit said.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh slammed the BJP calling the incident a "cowardly act" and said they want to win the elections by "hooliganism".
"They are attacking Arvind Kejriwal with stones. Parvesh Verma's people attacked him with stones. You want to win the elections by hooliganism. The workers of Aam Aadmi Party, the leaders of Aam Aadmi Party, have never bowed down before you. Why do they do such cowardly acts, what will they achieve by this? BJP is a party of cowards, I strongly condemn it," he said.
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj also visited those injured in the incident and said, "They are undergoing treatment... All three injured were sitting in wheelchairs. AAP's National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal hit them with his car with ruthlessness and cruelty."
The BJP MP alleged that Kejriwal is backtracking on his promises and threatened that the party is mulling criminal action.
"This is an example of petty politics. This shows that he is afraid of his defeat... Arvind Kejriwal is running away from his promises...How can the VVIP (AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal) who is always guarded by Punjab Police get frightened by three youths?... The party (BJP) will take whatever criminal action that needs to be taken," she said.
Delhi will go to the polls on February 5 and the counting of votes will take place on February 8. The New Delhi Assembly seat will see a triangular contest between Kejriwal, BJP's Parvesh Verma and Congress' Sandeep Dikshit.
A three-way contest is on the cards in Delhi between the ruling AAP, BJP, and Congress.
Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat. AAP dominated the 2020 assembly elections by winning 62 out of 70 seats while the BJP got eight seats.