Shoe hurled at Indian PM in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday became the latest victim of a shoe attack during the current election campaign when a computer engineering student hurled a sneaker towards him while he was addressing his first poll rally in Gujarat but it fell way short of the target.

Shortly after the incident at the Tagore hall ground here in the afternoon sent the SPG and other security personnel in a tizzy, the prime minister forgave the youth identified as Hitesh Chauhan, a 21-year-old resident of Bapunagar pursuing a computer course in a local engineering college. Singh did not want the police to register any case against the youth.

"After PM's speech was over, he called me and said don't press formal charges against the boy. I have forgiven him," Congress Legislature Party(CLP) leader Shaktisingh Govil Govil said.

"I have conveyed this to police officials who were present at the meeting venue," Gohil added. The prime minister continued with this speech after the incident.

Chauhan, who was sitting on the front row among the audience, was quickly whisked away by the security personnel for questioning by the crime branch. The motive was known amid reports that the youth flung the shoe to get publicity.

As Chauhan began to hurl his shoe in the direction of the Prime Minister who had just started his speech, security personnel grabbed him. The shoe landed several feet away from the stage where the prime minister was seated. The distance between the security railing near where Chauhan stood and the stage was about 100 feet.

PCC President Siddharth Patel alleged that Chauhan is associated with BJP's student outfit ABVP.

Cong seeks Modi's apology

The Congress attacked BJP for the shoe-throwing incident at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's election rally in Ahmedabad and demanded an apology from Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi while BJP condemned the episode.

Congress leaders termed the incident as "absolutely "shocking and astounding" and said that it was a reflection of "hate culture" injected by the BJP.

"All political parties should condemn such acts. This is also reflective of the law and order situation in the state. Gujarat has good people but we also have people like (Narendra) Modi. Nobody should insult the Prime Minister and Modi should apologise for it," Veerappa Moily, AICC media department chief, said.

Priyanka Gandhi, who is touring Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, said, "There are many ways of seeking redressal of issues. There is a right way and there is a wrong one. This is a wrong way. It is not in our tradition. Our tradition is non- violence. Such action does not befit our tradition".

Party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said, "We have been consistent in condemning this brand of devalued politics. Not only is this condemnable, but this infectious divergence must be rooted out collectively by all political parties".

Maintaining that shoe-throwing at political events was done to garner "cheap publicity", Congress spokesperson Rajiv Shukla sought to suspect a BJP hand in it by saying somebody probably was trying to balance a similar attack against BJP's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani in Katni in Madhya Pradesh.

this news published by www.apakistannews.com