High drama ensued in Delhi's Greater Kailash area on Saturday a man allegedly threw a liquid at former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal during his padyatra on Saturday evening. The man was detained by security personnel present at the spot, identified as Ashok Jha, a bus marshal posted at the Khanpur Bus Depot.

The incident took place around 5. 50 pm when Kejriwal, with Greater Kailash MLA and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, was walking in a narrow lane, greeting people as part of his campaign to strengthen his party’s presence and connect with voters in the region following which the security personnel swiftly overpowered him.

The visuals show stains in his blue sweater and scarves.  Kejriwal was seen wiping his face after the liquid was thrown at him.

In a video of the incident, Kejriwal can be seen walking in front, Bharadwaj a few steps behind him. Security personnel are also inside the cordon created using the rope. As he moves forward, the man reaches out and throws a liquid on Kejriwal. The liquid also falls on two security personnel.

According to the police, the AAP Chief was shaking hands with the public when a person namely Ashok Jha attempted to throw “water” on Arvind Kejriwal, but he was immediately caught as the police staff was nearby along with ropes.

In a statement, Delhi police said that the padyatra was organised by the AAP party members without permission. The said padyatra started from the chopal Savitri Nagar and ended at Meghna motors in the same area in which Arvind Kejriwal was the chief guest.  “In view of this a proper police deployment both in plain clothes and in uniform along with rope to control the crowd was made. The said attempt was foiled and Sub Inspector Sandeep from Malviya Nagar police station caught hold of Jha, the cops remarked. Further examination of the person is in progress to find out the reasons behind this act, the police said.

Soon after the incident, a blame game has started between AAP and BJP. While AAP has claimed that the attack was done at the behest of BJP, the BJP leaders have claimed that it was a drama by Arvind Kejriwal.

Reacting to the development, AAP said, "If a former chief minister is not safe in the national capital, where will the common man go?" AAP lashed out at the BJP-led Centre for the incident. "Delhi is facing a complete breakdown of law and order under BJP's rule," it said.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said that BJP’s dirty politics stooped too low by attacking Kejriwal as it is afraid of being defeated for the third time in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections. She warned that the people of Delhi will teach a lesson to BJP. “BJP people: Delhi people will take revenge for such cheap acts. Last time they got 8 seats, this time Delhi people will give zero seats to BJP," she said in a post on X.

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj blamed the Modi government for the law and order situation in the national capital. He said, "BJP leaders carry our rallies in all states, they are never attacked... There are continuous attacks on Arvind Kejriwal... BJP attacked him in Nangloi. He was attacked in Chhatarpur... The law and order in Delhi have collapsed and the central government and the Home Minister are not doing anything..."

Several other leaders including, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha and party MLA Naresh Balyan also condemned the attack and traded barbs at BJP.

The BJP was quick to hit back, accusing Kejriwal of staging the incident. BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor dismissed the attack as a political ploy. “Every political strategy of Kejriwal has failed. Now, he’s returning to his old tricks like being slapped or ink being thrown at him. He should clarify what new game he has started today,” Kapoor said. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that locals in the area confronted Kejriwal about issues like polluted water, and denied BJP’s link to the incident. He also accused AAP of exaggerating the  incident.

This attempted attack comes amid Kejriwal’s continued efforts to engage with the public ahead of the upcoming elections, and it highlights the challenges faced by political leaders in maintaining security while interacting with constituents.

This latest incident follows a similar attack in October, when AAP claimed that Kejriwal was targeted during a rally in Delhi. This is not the first time Kejriwal has been targeted.  In 2016, the AAP leader was attacked with ink during a visit to Bikaner, Rajasthan, where he had attended a condolence meeting for a local AAP leader. Since his political debut in 2013, Kejriwal has been the victim of several such attacks.

Kejriwal is currently leading a padyatra to connect with the public and promote the AAP's agenda ahead of the 2025 Delhi elections. The padyatra is a key component of his campaign strategy, as he seeks to engage voters across the city.