New Delhi: The cavalcade of BJP leader Devji M Patel was allegedly pelted with stones by some people protesting against his nomination from Sanchore in the upcoming Rajasthan Assembly elections, police said, as reported by news agency PTI. The BJP MP had a narrow escape, but his vehicle and some other vehicles in the motorcade were damaged.
According to the report, the incident took place on Wednesday when the BJP leader was returning home after paying obeisance at a temple in Pathmeda. The people staging the protest also hurled slogans against him and showed him black flags.
“We have identified some of the attackers but no arrest has been made so far. The attack was politically motivated,” PTI quoted Superintendent of Police (Sanchore) Sagar Rana as saying.
A case has been registered at the Sanchore police station against the assailants, believed to be the supporters of Danaram Choudhary who had contested on a BJP ticket from Sanchore in the last assembly elections and was defeated.
According to the report, Choudhary has been protesting against the candidature of Patel from Sanchore.
However, Patel said the assailants were not from the party. "They were not from the party. They were anti-social elements who had come from other places. I identified two or three of them," he said, as reported by the news agency.
Patel said the attackers followed him from Pathmeda in a car and joined a group assembled at the attack site. “They stopped my car. I tried to talk to them, but anticipating their intentions, I rolled up the door glass," PTI quoted Patel as saying.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday revised the polling date for the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly from November 23 to November 25.
The poll body said representatives of several political parties and social organisations said the previous date coincided with wedding and social engagement and thus, could lead to a drop in voter turnout.