NEW DELHI/AHMEDABAD: It was a bad Sunday for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, with an unidentified man trying to target him with a shoe. The incident occurred after Manmohan entered the Tagore Hall in Paldi locality of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, to address a rally yesterday afternoon. Thankfully, the shoe did not hit Manmohan and the “culprit” was quickly caught and whisked away by the police for questioning.
The shoe-thrower was identified as Hitesh Chauhan, a 21-year-old resident of Bapunagar pursuing a computer course in a local engineering college. He was sitting in the front row. Chauhan took out his shoe and was about to throw it in Manmohan’s direction just when he had begun his speech.
The shoe fell a few feet away from where Manmohan was seated. Though Manmohan appeared disturbed for a little while, he continued his address. Later, Manmohan told Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Shaktisingh Govil to ask the police not to press any charge against Chauhan.
Claiming allegiance to no political group, Chauhan threw the shoe apparently in protest against Congress party members who had allegedly assaulted to him. The shoe incident has been condemned by the Congress and other parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
With the electoral season nearing its final stages, opponents and rivals of Manmohan as the next prime minister have stepped up their “verbal” attack against him with a new aggressiveness.
