MAN HELD WITH LIVE BULLET AT KEJRIWAL'S RESIDENCE
Days after chilli powder was flung at Arvind Kejriwal, a visitor at the Delhi chief minister's residence was arrested on Tuesday after a bullet was found in his purse during frisking, triggering a fresh round of war of words between the ruling AAP and the BJP.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) asked the Centre to get over "petty politics" and pay attention to the chief minister's security. It also slammed the BJP and its government at the Centre over what they claimed was a "third attack" on Kejriwal in last one month.
The Delhi BJP unit, meanwhile, said it was a ploy of Kejriwal to distract attention from the "failures" of his government. It said the AAP supremo was coming up with such "dramatic" things as the elections were nearing, reports PTI.
The saffron party also sought a detailed probe into the chilli powder attack to unearth a "conspiracy" by the AAP, which, it said, was playing the "victim card".
A 39-year-old man, who was going to meet the chief minister at his residence here, was arrested after a bullet was found in his purse during frisking, police said on Tuesday.
Mohammad Imran, a caretaker of a mosque in Karol Bagh and resident of Seelampur locality, was arrested when he was going to attend a Janta Darbar (public meeting) at the chief minister's residence on Monday, they said.
A senior police officer said Imran had come to meet the chief minister at the Janta Darbar around 11:15 am.
He had come with 12 imams and maulvis to discuss the issue of increasing salary of the staff working at the Delhi Waqf Board, the officer said.
During the search, a live cartridge of .32 bore was found in his purse by the security staff deputed at Kejriwal's residence. Imran was handed over to the local police and accordingly, a case was registered at the Civil Lines police station under relevant sections of the Arms Act, police said.
"It is a very serious matter that a man carrying a live cartridge managed to reach the chief minister at his Janta Darbar. We appeal to the Centre to set aside petty politics and pay attention to his security," AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj said.
The AAP leaders noted that last week a man had attacked Kejriwal at the Delhi Secretariat by throwing chilli powder on him. They also alleged that Delhi BJP unit chief Manoj Tiwari "along with his goons had tried to hurt Kejriwal during the inaugural of the Signature Bridge".