Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 20 : Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur strongly condemned the alleged assault on Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday, terming it a "murder of democracy" and a shameful act.
Speaking to ANI, Thakur said that these kinds of incidents are unfortunate.
"I condemn the behaviour of the group with the Chief Minister in Delhi. She was listening to the problems of her people, and behaving in such a manner is like murdering democracy. Raising a hand on a woman is an absolutely disgraceful act. This is not acceptable in any way," he said.
Thakur demanded strict legal action against the accused, adding, "As per information, they have been arrested. If found guilty, they should be punished so that such incidents are never repeated. When action is taken, it will send a strong message across the country."
He further noted that such situations often arise when some vested interests attempt to create disturbances.
"There should be a thorough investigation in this matter, and action must be taken accordingly so that justice is delivered," he stressed.
Expressing concern for the safety of public representatives, Thakur said that such incidents with public representatives are matter of concern.
"We feel that such incidents with leaders and elected representatives should never happen. Leaders live among the people, listen to their problems, and work to resolve them. If someone commits such acts, it also deeply hurts the spirit of public service," Thakur added.
Thakur emphasised that such matters cannot be brushed aside. He added, "In difficult times, leaders have to be among the people. Incidents like this harm the dignity of the position and the trust of the people. Strict action is necessary."
Meanwhile, following the attack on Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, CCTV footage obtained from the Chief Minister's residence in Shalimar Bagh revealed that the attacker was planning the attack for the past 24 hours, Delhi CMO said on Wednesday.
"The cowardly attack on Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is part of a well-planned conspiracy. The CCTV footage obtained from the Chief Minister's residence in Shalimar Bagh has made it clear that the attacker had started preparing for this attack at least 24 hours in advance," CMO said.
The attacker did the recce of the CM's residence and attempted the attack in a planned manner. The video has been handed over to the police and an investigation is underway into the matter.
"It is seen in the footage that the attacker did a recce of the Chief Minister's residence, made a video of the place and attempted to attack in a planned manner. This video has been handed over to the police and an intensive investigation is going on in this regard," the statement said.