Delhi CM Rekha Gupta attacked during public meet, political parties condemn violence

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was attacked on August 20 morning during a Jan Sunwai (public hearing) at her Civil Lines residence, triggering outrage across the political spectrum and sharp questions over security in the capital.

According to officials, a man in his forties from Rajkot, Gujarat, hurled a stone at Gupta and allegedly slapped her while she was addressing citizens at the weekly meet. The assailant was swiftly detained and taken to Civil Lines police station.

“This shows that no one is safe in Delhi, not just women, but anyone,” said Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav while condemning the incident.

Gupta, who was briefly admitted for medical evaluation, is reported to be stable. BJP Delhi unit president Virendra Sachdeva said, “The Chief Minister is in a state of shock. She has been examined by doctors and is currently stable. She is a strong woman and knows her commitment towards Delhi.”

Political leaders across party lines denounced the attack. Former Delhi minister and AAP’s city unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “There is no place for violence in a democracy. We fully slam this incident.” AAP senior leader Arvind Kejriwal also posted on X, calling the attack “highly condemnable” and urging Delhi Police to take strict action.

The incident came on a day when Delhi schools faced fresh security scares. Two schools reported receiving bomb threat emails—barely two days after 32 private institutions, including Delhi Public School, Dwarka, had received similar hoax messages.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court weighed in on another issue affecting the city’s education system. While hearing a plea by GD Goenka School against the readmission of a child diagnosed with autism, a division bench observed that “ensuring the inclusion of neurodivergent children into the mainstream” was a responsibility society must shoulder.

The sequence of events — an attack on the city’s Chief Minister, repeated bomb threats to schools, and a high-stakes courtroom debate — has underscored a tense week in the national capital, raising concerns about both safety and inclusivity.