Kapil Mishra, the former Delhi minister suspended from AAP for accusing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of corruption, was attacked on Wednesday, a few hours after he started a hunger strike. Mishra is demanding that the Aam Aadmi Party reveal how its leaders’ foreign trips were funded.

The attack

Police said the attacker, identified as Ankit Bhardwaj, reached the protest site in the evening. Mishra was lying on the floor at the time, with supporters and journalists around him. According to police, the two had a short exchange of words, after which Bhardwaj slapped Mishra several times.

Competing claims

Mishra’s team said the attacker was an AAP member. The party denied any link. AAP leader Sanjay Singh told reporters, “He is part of the Bharatiya Yuva Morcha…We don’t support violence of any kind.”

Police have not confirmed whether the accused belongs to any political party.

The protest

Mishra arrived at the site in the morning and described his protest as a “satyagraha”, or peaceful agitation. He said he would take nothing but water until Kejriwal responded to his demand.

See also: Aam Aadmi Party and political leaders

Originally published on 11 May 2017. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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