Man slaps Indian politician at public meeting
Video: The attacker hit the nephew of the state's chief minister
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A young man ran on stage and slapped a politician in the face at a public meeting in West Bengal, India, on Sunday.
The incident took place in Chandipur in East Midnapore.
Video shows the man appearing on stage next to Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee, who is the nephew of the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee.
He hits Benerjee in the face, forcing the politician back. The youth is then attacked by people on the stage and a huge melee ensues on the dais.
The Hindu reported that the audience attacked members of the press because they thought the attacker was someone from the media. The Hindu said that two people from two different news channels were beaten up.
Police said that the man who attacked Banerjee was Debasish Acharya, a 25-year-old engineering student at a college in Durgapur.
Acharya was taken to hospital following the fight as he was badly injured. It was reported that he suffered several fractures and was awaiting a CT scan.
NDTV referenced reports which suggested that while he was being taken to hospital, Acharya said, “I am khudiram's spirit. I will be reborn. Goodbye Indians."
However, the Trinamool's Derek O'Brien said in a press statement yesterday, "Debashish Acharya said, ‘Ami Bharatbasi. Ami abar phire asbo Hindu dharmer rokkharthe. (I am an Indian. I will come back to serve the Hindu dharma).’”
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