M A I N   N E W S

Comment on Kashmir
Prashant Bhushan assaulted by youths in his SC chamber
Shaurya Karanbir Gurung
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 12
Lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan was today roughed up by three youths suspected to belong to a right-wing group. Bhushan, a Team Anna member, was attacked in his Supreme Court chamber. He said it appeared that the youths targeted him for advocacy of plebiscite in Jammu & Kashmir.

The assailants, claiming to be from an organisation called Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena, asserted that they attacked him because in Varanasi, he had recently made a statement with separatist leanings on Kashmir.

However, police claimed the assailants were activists of the Jammu-based Sri Ram Sena.

The assailants were identified as Inder Verma, Tejinder Pal Singh and Vishnu Gupta. They barged into his room and attacked him when a television crew was waiting to interview Bhushan. “We wanted to question him for the statement he made on Kashmir. Prashant Bhushan had said the state should be given to Pakistan, against which we protested,” Verma told mediapersons.

Talking to mediapersons, Bhushan said, “I was sitting in my office when they barged in and started beating me. They were angered about my comments on Kashmir. The three were Sri Ram Sena activists.”

The Sri Ram Sena took responsibility for the action.

“The statements made by Prashant Bhushan on Kashmir are anti-national and we will not tolerate this. We will not spare people who make such comments,” the assailants said.

However, Tejinder, who is absconding, asserted that he is not an activist of the Sri Ram Sena. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi condemned the attack on Bhushan.

“The most severe punishment should be given to the people who committed this act. The genuine identity of these people needs to be revealed,” said Singhvi. “Those who did this have attacked a rational man who is serving the nation. Our society has become so intolerant that it can’t accept a dissenting opinion,” said Team Anna member Kiran Bedi.