Shoebite: PM feels the pinch at Gujarat rally

Shoebite: PM feels the pinch at Gujarat rally
27 Apr 2009, 0020 hrs IST, Leena Mishra, TNN

AHMEDABAD/SURAT: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday became the latest target of the now-popular political missile — the cross-trainer — flung this time by a 21-year-old computer engineering student, to mark Gujarat's first "shoe-bite" that came as the PM addressed a rally at the Sanskar Kendra grounds.

The shoe-thrower, identified by cops as Hitesh Chauhan, had failed his fourth semester in computer engineering from an institute in Gandhinagar and reportedly told the police that he had thrown the shoe for five minutes of fame. Cops said Chauhan was notorious on the campus for leading protests, joining inter-college clashes and has been booked once for cheating in an exam.

Later in the evening, BJP leader L K Advani, who's had footwear flung at him in Madhya Pradesh, was targeted again. An attempt by a bearded man to chuck his sandal at the NDA's prime ministerial candidate was thwarted by others who had come to hear him at a rally in Ahmedabad's Vyaswadi neighbourhood. No details were available about the would-be assailant who was whisked away by the police.

The shoe thrown at the PM landed some 30 feet from the high podium, causing a flutter in the crowd. Although he had no press credentials, Chauhan was sitting among the front rows of the media enclosure.

The shoe has steadily gained popularity as a political weapon since George W Bush ducked a pair at his last press conference as president in Baghdad. The contagion erupted in India with a Sikh reporter chucking his running shoe at home minister P Chidambaram to vent his ire over CBI giving a clean chit to Congress politician Jagdish Tytler, a suspect in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Others who have had footwear flying at them in recent weeks include BJP leader L K Advani and Congress MP Navin Jindal.

Singh, who was on this first visit to Gujarat to campaign this elections, was nonplussed and continued with his address. Police nabbed the boy and took him away to the Ellisbridge police station.

Chauhan apparently belongs to the BJP's youth wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad. The ABVP, however was quick to disown him and sent a rejoinder clarifying that he had nothing to do with them.

Although the Special Protection Group personnel accompanying the PM requested that the boy be set free, he was questioned to determine the real motive for the attack. He later told police that he was not happy with the schemes of the central government which had prompted the attack, but the police did not find that convincing.

In his speech, Singh launched a fresh assault on Advani. "By putting up huge advertisements with photographs, a leader did not become decisive and strong." He was affirming his stand against Advani's remark that Singh was a weak PM.

At Surat, Singh slammed Gujarat government's relief package for the diamond industry announced in March as an eyewash. "When Gujarat government can't help the diamond industry it has no right to talk about industrialisation," he said.

"BJP can only give you divisive politics. They promote communalism and insult Mahatma Gandhi and Gujarat. During the NDA rule, whatever happened in Gujarat in 2002 because of a few persons was against our culture and tradition," he said.

with thanks : Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Shoebite-PM-feels-the-pinch-at-Gujarat-rally/articleshow/4451332.cms

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com