Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today became the target of shoe-pelting for the second time, when a youth allegedly hurled a shoe that fell near the stage from where he was addressing a rally here.
Mr. Hooda was addressing a ‘sammelan’ (meeting) of Backward Classes in the Old Government College here when the youth hurled the shoe towards the chief minister.
The youth was immediately rounded up by policemen and taken to an undisclosed location. The shoe did not hit the Chief Minister and fell near the stage, eyewitnesses said.
Police said they were investigating the matter and questioning the youth Ajit Singh.
During preliminary questioning, the Kirmara village resident told the police that he wanted to meet Mr. Hooda here as he was facing some problems but he was denied permission by the authorities concerned.
On August 22, a jobless youth had hurled a shoe at Mr. Hooda during a rally at Mahendergarh in south Haryana.
The footwear hurled by 21-year-old Shakti Singh, who was seated behind the photographers gallery, had also fallen way short from where Mr. Hooda was addressing the rally.
Police sources said that the youth who hurled the shoe appeared to be mentally deranged and was undergoing treatment.
Meanwhile, Mr. Hooda while addressing the rally here apparently referring to the shoe hurling incident, said that “some people were upset to see the sea of humanity in the rally of Backward Classes“.
The State government was committed “to protect the interests of the members belonging to Backward Classes and the interest of Backward Classes—A would also be fully advocated in the Supreme Court,” he said.
A number of steps to redress the problems of Backward Classes have been taken, Mr. Hooda said.
On a demand raised by certain leaders regarding not to address Backward Classes as “backward”, the Chief Minister said that he did not agree with them, as merely deleting word “backward” would not serve the purpose.
