Indian police arrest ruling BJP's youth leader for mob attack

Indian police have arrested a leader of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing in connection with Friday's mob attack on main opposition Congress party's second-in-command Rahul Gandhi in the western state of Gujarat.

"We have arrested one person named Jayesh Darji alias Anil Rathod for allegedly throwing a stone at the vehicle in which Gandhi was travelling," said Niraj Badgujar, the police chief of the state's Banaskantha district where the incident took place.

The Congress party has, however, claimed that the accused is a leader of the local youth wing of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is also in power in Gujarat. "Darji is a leader of BJP Yuva Morcha," Congress leader Prithviraj Kathwadia told the media.

Though the Nehru-Gandhi scion escaped unhurt in the mob attack in Banaskantha district while he was touring the flood-hit areas of the state, a few of the security personnel accompanying him in his sports utility vehicle (SUV) sustained injuries.

The Congress party has blamed the BJP for the attack on its vice president. However, the BJP has brushed aside the allegations and termed it as an unfortunate incident.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)