One member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was injured when a group of people belonging to the party was attacked when it was carrying out a membership drive near the Bellandur lake here on Sunday.
The attack on AAP members in Bangalore comes close on the heels of the attack on AAP office in Ghaziabad.
Ten members of the AAP were participating in the membership drive in front of the Food Palace Supermarket in Bellandur. Raghav Tandon, one of the 10 members, said: “We started the drive at around 4.30 p.m. and were sitting with a table and two laptops. It was a peaceful drive and we had put up a flex to invite memberships and only those interested could register with us. At around 5.30 p.m., a man came and started arguing with us about the drive and then they started screaming.”
The man then left the venue only to return with four more accomplices who created a ruckus. The members alleged that the men abused them for putting up the flex banner. The men tore the banner and later assaulted one of the party volunteers. The volunteer, identified as Pankaj Kumar (32), was administered first aid, Mr. Tandon said. “Only when we took a snap of one of the men, they left the premises. We suspect that they are members of a political party but cannot comment on it as we are unsure,” said Mr. Raghav Tandon. The AAP members filed a complaint with the HSR Layout police.
The injured Pankaj Kumar, a software engineer with a private firm here, said that one man had first approached them and did a recce of the venue before bringing along his accomplices.
“He was constantly on the phone as if receiving instructions from someone,” Mr. Kumar added.
Based on the complaint, the HSR Layout police have registered cases under sections 427 (Mischief causing damage) and 341 of the IPC.
