Another shoe flies, this time at PM | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Another shoe flies, this time at PM

Hindustan Times | ByPrasad Nichenametla, Ahmedabad
Apr 27, 2009 01:14 AM IST

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh became the fourth political leader to be targeted with shoes in this election season even though the white sneaker landed far short of him at a rally in Ahemdabad today. Prasad Nichenametla reports.

The Flying Shoe has not spared even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. On Sunday, with both Singh and his prime ministerial adversary, Lal Krishna Advani, addressing rallies in the city, Singh had one flung at him, just as Advani had faced at Katni in Madhya Pradesh last Thursday.

HT Image
HT Image

Policemen immediately surrounded the shoe-thrower, one Hitesh Chauhan, a computer engineering student at a Gandhinagar institute, and hauled him away.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

This is the fourth such incident during the election campaign. Apart from Singh and Advani, Home minister P. Chidambaram and Congress MP Navin Jindal have also had shoes flung at them in past weeks.

Unperturbed, the 76-year-old Prime Minister continued with his speech, and later, like Chidambaram before him, said he had forgiven the shoe-thrower.

“Dr Singh said he had forgiven the youth,” said Shakti Sinh Gohil, Congress Opposition leader in the Gujarat assembly. “He told us not to initiate any action against him.”

Chauhan, 21, the shoe-thrower, currently in the Crime Branch’s custody, reportedly told the police

he had been irritated by

the prime minister’s statements.

“While listening to the speech where the PM was talking about what his government had done for the country, he lost his cool,” Abhay Chudasama, deputy commissioner of police (crime branch) told PTI. “He shouted ‘Jhoot bolna bandh karo’ (Stop lying) and took his shoe off.” Chudasama added that Chauhan had claimed his act was not preplanned.

Speaking in Hindi, Singh ridiculed the BJP’s promise in its campaign posters of providing a majboot, nirnaayak sarkar (strong, decisive government). “There is no evidence to back this claim by the BJP,” he said. “You know what they did when they were ruling. Merely using strong words does not make one strong and decisive.”

Listing the government’s achievements and condemning the BJP for its politics of hate, Singh also hit out at the Third Front. “This is a group of parties with no forward vision,” he said. “How can it lead the country?”

Speaking hours later, Advani touched on themes that have grown familiar throught the campaign. He rebutted terror related charges made against the BJP by the Congress.

“Much is made of the fact that Parliament was attacked during NDA rule,” he said. “But the fact is that our brave security personnel repulsed the attack. No one inside Parliament was harmed.”

Referring to Afzal Guru, convicted for his role in the Parliament attack and awaiting execution, he said: “Had his name been Anand Mohan, he would have been hanged long ago.”

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On