Prashant attacked over Kashmir remarks

In a shocking incident, noted lawyer and human rights activist Prashant Bhushan was badly beaten up by three men in his chamber in the Supreme Court.

 

Angry over his remarks of freedom to Kashmir, these men said to be belonging to Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena, barged into his chamber while he was in the midst of an interview and attacked him without any provocation.  

 

Bhushan, a respectable figure in the Indian civil society, has been at the forefront of many a battle for the poor and the oppressed sections.

 

 

However, his recent association with the Anna Hazare led Jan Lokpal campaign has not gone down well with a section of the civil society who believe that he has been compromising his stand on several issues. 

 

The attack comes just after Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh came out with letters of the RSS wherein it is directing its cadres to support Hazare’s anti-graft campaign. 

 

Team Anna has been denying any association with the RSS. However, one of its core members Kiran Bedi tacitly defended RSS support in an interview to a news channel wherein she said that RSS too is a part of the country and free to support any movement.

 

Interestingly, this Rightwing outfit was part of the Anna campaign and its volunteers were present at Tihar Jail and Ramlila Maidan with vitriolic posters against the Gandhi family.

 

The incident is a manifestation of the contradictions within Team Anna. Insiders point out that when Bhushan had commented on the resolution of the Kashmir issue according to the wishes of the people in a press conference in September, his comments were criticised by other members of the team who don\\\’t want to alienate the RSS. 

 

Earlier, when Swami Agnivesh was attacked for his remarks on the Amarnath issue even then Team Anna maintained conspicious silence with even Hazare himself refraining from condemning the act. 

 

Recently, Hazare had told the New York Times that there were difference of opinion between Arvind Kejriwal and Bhushan. However, he later claimed that he has been misquoted.

 

One of the attackers has been arrested and taken to Tilak Marg police station. An investigation is underway.