'Lord Krishna told me to travel to Delhi': Man who attacked CM Rekha Gupta tells police

Rajesh Sakariya is a resident of Gujarat's Rajkot.

The man accused of assaulting Rekha Gupta during a Jan Sunwai at her camp office told the police that he attacked the Chief Minister after she allegedly ignored his appeals against removing stray dogs from the national capital.

A report by NDTV stated that Rajesh Sakariya (41) told the police he was a devotee of Lord Krishna. According to Sakariya, Lord Krishna had directed him to travel to Ujjain, and then to Delhi to seek the Chief Minister's help regarding the Supreme Court ruling to round up stray dogs in Delhi-NCR and shift them to shelters away from residential areas.

The court's decision, aimed at addressing public safety concerns related to dog bites, has been met with criticism.

The CM reportedly directed all the departments concerned not to take any "harsh action" against stray dogs till the top court pronounces its final order on the contentious issue.

Sakariya also told the police that he travelled to the national capital on a train without ticket. On reaching Delhi, Sakariya reportedlty asked people where the Chief Minister lived.

He took the Metro, but got off at the wrong station and then took a cycle rickshaw ride to reach the Chief Minister's residence in Shalimar Bagh.

According to the NDTV report, Sakariya had planned to return to Rajkot after meeting the Chief Minister.

However, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra has trashed the divine intervention theory. "We need to talk about facts. The man has a criminal record. The way he conducted a recce before the attack shows he is a professional criminal. Random theories are being pushed to divert attention from the facts," he told the media.

The accused reportedly has multiple cases against him. The NDTV report stated that most of these cases are related to the smuggling of liquor in dry Gujarat. He has been acquitted in several of these cases.

Mishra also told NDTV that the Chief Minister continued to work despite the shocking attack. "Right now, she needs rest and recovery as the physical injuries are serious, and the mental impact is also there. This was not an ordinary incident; it was a very unusual one. Still, the Chief Minister continues to work," he said. The Chief Minister suffered injuries after Sakariya allegedly slapped her, pushed her and pulled her hair.

Sakariya has been charged with attempted murder, among other sections relating to obstructing a public servant during duty.

The police produced Sakriya before the court late on Wednesday night, following which he was sent to a five-day police custody.