Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was attacked during a public hearing at her residence on Wednesday by a man later identified as Rajesh Sakariya, a 41-year-old from Gujarat. While police detained him on the spot, his mother later claimed that he is mentally ill and deeply disturbed over the Supreme Court’s recent order on stray dogs.

The incident unfolded when Sakariya approached the CM during the ‘jan sunwai’ session and suddenly lunged at her. Security personnel quickly overpowered him, preventing serious harm. He is now in police custody and being questioned.

Sakariya’s mother said her son, a rickshaw driver from Rajkot, is an ardent animal lover who became extremely upset after the Supreme Court directed authorities to remove stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets and place them in shelters. “He never takes his medicines. He loves dogs. Since the order came, he was restless and even violent at home. His nature has become like this,” she said.

She revealed that Sakariya had left home on Sunday without informing anyone. When his father contacted him, he reportedly replied, “I’ve gone to Delhi. I saw the video of the dogs, that’s why I went there.” She also claimed that he had attacked family members in the past.

On August 11, the Supreme Court ordered that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR be relocated following rising dog-bite cases, sparking widespread protests. A larger bench later reserved its order on pleas challenging the directive.

Reacting to the issue, CM Rekha Gupta said the menace of stray dogs in Delhi had reached “serious levels” and her government would comply with the top court’s directions. “Delhi people are fed up of stray dogs. We will make a policy and provide relief,” she said. The Delhi government has since held multiple meetings to frame a response.