Pappu Yadav says shoe attacker carried knife, claims he had received death threats

Independent MP Pappu Yadav on Sunday claimed that the man who attacked him with a shoe during a press conference in Delhi was also carrying a knife, which has been handed over to the police.

Speaking to NDTV, the Bihar MP said he had been receiving threats from several sadhus and saints in recent days.

"One sant made a public statement saying that if my parliamentary membership was not revoked, I should be burnt alive. Another announced a reward of Rs 51 lakh for anyone who kills me," Yadav said.

The attacker was identified as Sumit, a resident of Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh. According to sources, he targeted Yadav over what he perceived as an insult to sadhus.

Yadav recently wore saffron robes during an Opposition protest in Parliament over the theft of donations from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The protest featured a skit in which he portrayed a temple priest carrying donation boxes and was shown pocketing the offerings.

"I have not committed any crime. I actually tried to protect the person who had come to attack me," Yadav said.

He added that the Opposition would continue to demand a discussion in Parliament on the theft of offerings from the Ayodhya Ram Temple. "Our leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav will decide our stance on the Ram Mandir issue," he said.

Following Friday's protest, a delegation led by BJP leader Bansuri Swaraj filed a complaint with the Delhi Police, alleging that the use of saffron robes and a tilak for political protest had hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community.

The delegation also sought preservation of CCTV footage from the Parliament complex, video recordings, television coverage, photographs, social media posts and other electronic evidence related to the protest.