Anna Hazare’s top aide assaulted over Kashmir remarks; one arrested
New Delhi: Lawyer-activist and prominent Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan was on Wednesday assaulted by three youths belonging to a right-wing group in his Supreme Court chamber for his advocacy of plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir.
The attack on Bhushan came live on the TV screens when Inder Verma (24) and two others barged into into Chamber No 301 of New Lawyers Chamber opposite Supreme Court and attacked him mentioning “Kashmir, Kashmir”.
As he was preparing to give an interview to a TV channel, the lawyer was first slapped as his spectacles flew, beaten, kicked and pinned to the ground after being pushed out of the chair.
Bhushan’s assistants and clerks, who came to his help was also roughed up by the attackers before Verma was caught and beaten up by some people said to be lawyers and others, while the other two escaped.
While Bhushan mentioned Sri Ram Sene as being behind the attack, he also referred to the presence of Sikh youth among the three.
One Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga claiming to be president of ‘Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena’ said his organisation was behind the attack.
The attack was condemned from all quarters, including Home Minister P Chidambaram who said one person (Verma) has been arrested. He has asked Delhi Police to arrest the other two attackers as soon as possible.
55-year-old Bhushan was admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and later discharged after check up.
After reaching his home in neighbouring Noida, he narrated the incident and sought a ban on organisations like Sri Ram Sene which practices “goondaism” of this type in various cities across the country on whatever issues it likes. He expressed hope that legal proceedings would be initiated against the attackers and appealed to his supporters not to indulge in retribution.
However, Bhushan refused to take questions on his views on Kashmir that provoked the attack.
Earlier immediately after the attack, Bhushan said in his chamber that the youths targeted him for his stand on Jammu and Kashmir.
“They were saying that I have made some comments on Kashmir to which they were taking objection. I have said that a plebiscite should be held in Kashmir,” Bhushan said. He had in Varanasi last week said that there could be a plebiscite in Kashmir.
In social networking site Facebook, the account holder in the name of ‘Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena’ claimed they “hit Prashant Bhushan hard in his chamber in Supreme Court. If you will try to break my nation, I will break your head.”
The attack triggered sharp reactions from Home Minister P Chidambaram, Anna Hazare and his team, Congress, BJP and CPI(M).
Verma (24), a resident of Karai Village in Nangloi, was arrested for the attack while a hunt is on to nab the other two. (PTI)