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Sharad Pawar assaulted by man protesting against price rise, corruption

Congress blamed the assault on a BJP statement while there was all-round condemnation of the assault by political parties.

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Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was Thursday attacked by a youth claiming to protest against price rise and corruption which the Congress blamed on a BJP statement while there was all-round condemnation of the assault by political parties.

Pawar (71), who went to a literary function at a public auditorium on Parliament Street, was caught unawares when he was slapped by Harvinder Singh, a local transporter in his thirties who had assaulted former Telecom Minister Sukh Ram outside a court on Saturday last after he was sentenced in a corruption case.

The NCP veteran and one of the seniormost politicians in the country, who has very little security, lost his balance for a moment but regained composure after the assault, moved towards the exit of the auditorium and got into his waiting car.

Private security guards immediately overpowered the youth who was shouting "he is corrupt" and an official landed some blows on Singh, who was arrested and charged with causing hurt, assault and criminal intimidation.

Condemning the attack, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Hamid Ansari spoke to Pawar. Pranab Mukherjee wondered "where the country was going?".

Home Minister P Chidambaram drove to Pawar's residence and met him. The Government is likely to convene a meeting to review security of Union Ministers.

Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi immediately attributed the incident to Yashwant Sinha's statement Tuesday that continued price rise in the "absence" of any concrete steps may become a reason for people to vent their anger in the form of violence.

Party spokesperson Manish Tiwari said such statements were not good for democracy and they went to prove the intentions of the party.

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