A student threw a shoe at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during an election rally in a western Indian city on Sunday after he was stopped from shouting at the veteran politician, police said.
The shoe landed in front of a dias in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, moments after Singh started to speak about the government's achievements in the last five years of power. The man, identified as Hitesh Chauhan, a 21-year-old computer engineering student, was taken away by police, and detained for questioning, Abhay Chudasma, a senior police officer told Reuters.
"He was shouting that politicians were all liars, when he was stopped by supporters, resulting in the incident," Chudasma said. "We are questioning him and will release him after a while." The incident was the latest episode of shoe-throwing as a mark of protest against political leaders. Other incidents involved former US President George W. Bush and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
In India, angry people have thrown shoes and slippers at politicians contesting in the April/May general election. Fearful of such attacks by disgruntled voters, leaders have asked for more security and are erecting metal nets at rallies.
This month, a Sikh journalist hurled a shoe at India's home minister during a news conference in New Delhi after getting angry with the minister's reply to a question about 1984 riots.
A few days later, another man threw a slipper at Lal Krishna Advani, the prime ministerial candidate of the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, the main opposition party. While criticising the incidents, Indian leaders have not taken any legal action against the offenders.
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