An unemployed youth threw his shoe allegedly towards Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal while he was on the dais during a political conference today at Issru, around 50 kms from here, police said.
However, the shoe fell a few metres away from the dais.
It was thrown as the Chief Minister stood up to address the gathering.
The youth, identified as Vikram (23), is a resident of Dhanoula in Barnala, Khanna SSP Harsh Bansal said, adding that he also raised slogans against the Chief Minister before hurling the footwear.
He has been taken into custody and is being interrogated, the SSP said.
Commenting on the episode, Badal said he had "forgiven" the youth.
Vikram, however, claimed that he did not hurl the show towards the Chief Minister, but towards his chair on the dias. "I am angry with all the politicians...They promise employment, but on ground do nothing," the youth said, adding that he was against politicians as "they make false promises".
Political conferences are held at Issru every year on the occasion of martyrdom day of Karnail Singh.
Punjab Congress President Partap Singh Bajwa also condemned the hurling of shoes towards Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, saying that the act is totally against the culture of this 'land of gurus'. "This is an incident which should be condemned by all as it is not part of political culture of this state," he said.
However, he also used the incident to attack the Badal government, saying it cannot be taken in isolation as it manifests the latent anger of the people against this government which had been selling dreams but failing to keep its promises.
"You can befool some people for some time but cannot mislead them all the time. This is the result of frustration against the functioning of Badal's government and sooner he realised it, better it will be," Bajwa said.
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