Swami Agnivesh slapped by Swami Nityanand in Ahmedabad

Social activist Swami Agnivesh was on Thursday attacked in Ahmedabad during a public meeting. Agnivesh, along with other activists including Mallika Sarabhai, was with anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare in Ahmedabad. After the meeting was over, a priest named Swami Nityanand approached Agnivesh and on the pretext of garlanding him hit him on the face. For a moment, Agnivesh was unsettled and his turban fell off, but he soon regained his composure. The police arrested Nityanand. Preliminary enquiry suggested the young priest from Kheda district in Gujarat was upset with statements that Agnivesh made earlier regarding Amarnath Yatra.

The man slapped Agnivesh during the public meeting here, and was identified as Mahant Nityanand Das. He had taken umbrage at Agnivesh's recent comment that the Amarnath shivling was made out of artificial ice. Das had announced a reward of Rs.51,000 to anyone who would hurl a shoe at Agnivesh. A mahant at a temple near Nadiad, Nityanand approached Agnivesh, who was with anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare at the public meeting here. As Agnivesh moved to shake hands, the mahant slapped him. Agnivesh’s turban was also knocked off and fell to the ground.