Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was on Thursday slapped by a Delhi man, angry over rising prices and corruption, sparking nationwide condemnation and questions over VVIP security.
Interestingly, Lokpal campaigner Anna Hazare landed himself right in the thick of it with a comment that the Gandhian later managed to correct.
Just after the minister was attacked at the NDMC centre in New Delhi, reporters asked Hazare for a comment on the incident.
"He got slapped! Only one slap?" he said to a group of journalists, who broke out in laughter at the reaction. But later coming out of the room, he condemned the incident saying such acts of violence were not good.
"He (the attacker) may be very angry. This is not good. Anger is not good. Our Constitution does not tell us to be violent with anyone," Hazare told reporters in Ralegan Siddhi.
Ready to apologise
As word about his remarks created ripples, Hazare said he was talking to 200-300 visitors and someone sent a note that Pawar was attacked.
"I was asking them, was he only slapped and anything else happened to him," he said.
Explaining what he meant by his remark, Hazare, talking to a Marathi newschannel later, was at pains to explain the faux pas saying: "I was addressing a daily gathering of people when someone sent me a note informing about the attack. I wanted to know whether it was just a slap or there was some other kind of violence."
The social activist said he did not say or mean anything inappropriate when he said 'ek hi mara?'. He always believed in non-violent method of agitation, Hazare said.
"However, if it is perceived that I have said something wrong, I am ready to apologise," he said.
'Politicians may get targeted'
Also condemning the attack, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said politicians may get targeted if a 'proper’ Lokpal bill is not passed.
"Pray proper lokpal bill gets passed in winter session or else pent up anger may come on streets. Politicians may get targeted," Bedi, already in the eye of a storm for mocking politicians during Hazare's Ramlila Maidan agitation, tweeted.
Pawar's retort at Hazare
Sharad Pawar, later in the evening, took a dig at the activist over his reaction, saying Hazare had given a 'new definition' to the philosophy espoused by the Mahatama.
"He (Hazare) has a new definition about Gandhism. He is a new Gandhian," the Union Agriculture Minister retorted.
At the AICC briefing, party spokesman Manish Tewari also frowned upon Hazare's reaction on the attack on Pawar.
"There is nothing Gandhian about violence. It is a contradiction in terms. If you are Gandhian, then I think the first premise of being a Gandhian is your commitment to non-violence," Tewari remarked.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted: I am shocked at Anna's initial reaction. God help Gandhians if this is how they justify such behavior. "Only one slap?" and then laughter!!!
The attack
The assault took place at a public function at the NDMC centre in the heart of the city when a man identified as Harvinder Singh suddenly emerged from among a group of journalists and took a walking Pawar by surprise.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader momentarily lost balance but immediately recovered.
An aide turned around and repeatedly fisted the attacker, a young aggressive Sikh who had Saturday similarly kicked former cabinet minister Sukh Ram in a court complex after he was jailed for corruption.
Even as he was taken away to a police lock-up to be produced before a court on Friday, Harvinder Singh remained defiant.
Dressed in a blue striped T-shirt, the turbaned Sikh unleashed a small kirpan as security guards tried to pin him down.
"Sab chor hain... cheer doonga... cheer doonga (They are all thieves. I will rip them apart)," he shouted as he was led away. He told reporters he was fed up with rising food prices and corruption.
He said he was no terrorist.
"Annaji (Hazare) kept on pleading with folded hands to pass the Lokpal Bill but they didn't... We have had enough and people have been harassed too much by these politicians."
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi telephoned Pawar to express their concern. Pawar downplayed the incident and urged his fuming party workers in Maharashtra to remain calm.