Anna-Ramdev agitation: Immolation bid foiled at Jantar Mantar

NEW DELHI: Team Anna volunteer Salim Alvi tried to set himself on fire at Jantar Mantar on Sunday for allegedly being ill-treated by Arvind Kejriwal. A resident of Bulandshahr in UP, Salim had spoken to the Team Anna leader about the rising prices in his town and requested him to include the issue in the Jan Lokpal Bill. However, he was unhappy with Kejriwal’s response, police said.
According to witnesses, Salim, wearing a Team Anna T-shirt and a cap, was carrying a megaphone and standing near the media enclosure at the fast site around 12.15pm when Devendra Sharma, a close aide of Ramdev, was addressing the crowd. He started speaking through his megaphone, demanding that he be heard by Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev, but was prevented by Ramdev’s volunteers, said police. Salim kept on alleging that he was mistreated by Kejriwal and other members of the India Against Corruption. Salim then pulled out a bottle of kerosene, poured it on himself and took out a lighter to set himself on fire but was overpowered.
“He kept shouting that he would commit suicide at home if he was not heard or allowed to commit suicide in Jantar Mantar. Initially, it wasn’t very clear why he tried to commit suicide,” said a senior police officer.
Police booked Salim under Section 65 in the Delhi Police Act before releasing him late in the evening.