Dy CM Sisodia meets Jung after returning from Finland

Sisodia had gone to Finland to study the Nordic country’s education system. A row erupted after the opposition BJP and Congress targeted him for “abandoning” the city at a time it was reeling under the outbreak of the vector-borne diseases. Talking to reporters outside the LG house, Sisodia took a jibe at Jung, saying he could have called him instead of writing a letter “if there was an emergency”.

“I met the LG and told him about the education system in Finland. I told him that we can also do well in education and health in Delhi and no compromise should be accepted on these areas,” he said.

This was the first meeting between an AAP minister and the LG after the two sides traded barbs after Health Minister Satyendar Jain and Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra failed to meet Jung last Saturday. Sisodia was speaking with journalists after meeting Jung when an man, identified as Brijesh Shukla, sneaked up and quickly threw the ink from a bottle he was holding.

The ink scattered mostly on Sisodia’s left arm and a part of his face, taking the Deputy Chief Minister by surprise.

When reporters asked the attacker the reason for the ink attack, he responded: “People are dying in Delhi and you (Sisodia) prefer to go on a foreign (Finland) jaunt.”

Sisodia, who is also the Education Minister, went to Finland to study the country’s highly acclaimed educational system. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders expressed surprise that no policeman was present at the site at the time of the ink attack.

Delhi government’s spokesperson sought to know how the ink attacker knew that Sisodia would meet Jung.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s media adviser Nagendar Sharma sought to know how the ink attacker knew that Sisodia would meet Jung.

“Why anger is not directed at BJP’s MCD? Why no ink is thrown at BJP’s MCD mayors and councillors?” Sharma asked in a tweet.

Another added: “Ink attack against Sisodia was planned Sunday night. Messages were sent to media from a mobile in advance.” Shukla was said to be a resident of Karawal Nagar in north-east Delhi. 

Sisodia said later that while his government was working on ways to improve the health and education sectors, the BJP and Congress continued to indulge in “cheap politics” with ink attacks. AAP leader Dilip Pandey blamed Jung for the incident.

“Wah LG Sa’ab. You have already unleashed the ACB, CBI and police on us, now you have started getting ink thrown (on our leaders) through your goons,” he tweeted. 

Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra said the ink attacker, Shukla, had in 2003 contested Assembly elections in Delhi as an independent and also had a criminal record. 

AAP leader Kumar Vishwas, a long-time friend of Sisodia, remarked sarcastically that this was perhaps the “fake nationalists’” way of avenging the Sunday terror attack in Kashmir. 

Meanwhile, the man, who threw ink at the Deputy Chief Minister while he was getting into his car outside the Lieutenant Governor’s office, has been arrested, police confirmed.