NEW DELHI: A press conference held by Independent MP Pappu Yadav in Delhi on Sunday was abruptly disrupted when a clash erupted between his supporters and a group of men. Yadav’s media convenor claimed that the MP was assaulted with a knife, which he labeled as an attempt to mirror the notorious incident involving gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed.
The confrontation occurred while Yadav was addressing the media. According to his media convenor, three to four men approached the MP suddenly, triggering a physical altercation. The convenor alleged that one attacker first removed a slipper and threw it before another brandished a knife.
“The attackers first took off a slipper and hurled it. When the knife was drawn to attack, our supporters and associates tried to restrain the assailant. I stepped forward and positioned myself between the attacker and Pappu Yadav, and I was beaten severely as a result,” the convenor detailed.
He stated that he was assaulted so brutally by two or three individuals that he lost consciousness and had to be carried away by his associates. “I have no further information,” he added.
A Yadav supporter present during the incident mentioned that he instinctively raised his hand to shield the MP when the knife was swung, leading to the blade grazing his finger. The chaos soon escalated, with people tumbling and colliding in the confusion.
The media convenor criticized the Delhi Police, claiming that officers present did not intervene to protect Yadav but instead concentrated on escorting the alleged attackers away from the scene. “I tried to help Pappu Yadav escape the scene. The police seemed to be shielding the goons… Not a single policeman stepped forward to assist him,” he stated.
He expressed concern over what he termed a plan to stage a ‘Prayagraj Part Two,’ referencing the killing of Atiq Ahmed and his brother in police custody earlier this year.
Earlier in the day, the convenor mentioned having met with the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) to file a formal complaint, noting that Yadav had received persistent threats on social media and warning them of his arrival. “Despite knowing all this, they deployed only three or four police personnel here, and even they were merely protecting the goons,” he alleged.
He also noted suspicious behavior before the incident, claiming that several individuals were positioned behind media cameras. “There were people hiding behind the cameras; when one pulled out a knife, another hurled a slipper… Only the MP was targeted,” he asserted.
Witnesses reported that the conflict began when some men accused Yadav of disrespecting Sanatan Dharma. This escalated into an argument before one of the men threw a slipper, prompting Yadav’s supporters to step in.
Yadav and his supporters alleged that the assailants were armed with knives and had intentions to harm him. The Delhi Police have yet to release an official response regarding the incident.
In a subsequent statement, Yadav claimed the confrontation was a deliberate attempt on his life, linking it to threats against his family. “I came here because last night, they went to my children’s home. Now, you are trying to intimidate my children too; that won’t happen,” he asserted. “I was with the press, and during that time, there was an attempt to kill me.”
Elaborating on the threats, he remarked that some individuals were even calling for his death, recalling that one bystander shouted, “Burn him alive,” while others shouted for him to be killed. “If people hadn’t been here, I would have been finished,” he added.
Yadav also connected the scuffle to the ongoing controversy regarding alleged discrepancies related to offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. “I haven’t said anything wrong. I only asked Champat Rai or Giri Ji, where did the 200 kg of silver go? Where did the gold go?” he questioned.
On the matter of security, Yadav expressed his ongoing concerns, stating, “I have been demanding security for a long time now. What crime have I committed?”
This incident unfolds just days after Yadav’s participation in a political protest alongside other opposition MPs concerning alleged theft of offerings made at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, where they staged a dramatization of the alleged theft within the premises of Parliament.
