Shots Fired Near Gandhi at New Delhi Prayer Meeting

A man who fired shots at a prayer meeting attended by India Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and President Zail Singh was arrested by authorities, a government spokesman said today.

It was unclear whether the shooting was an assassination attempt on the prime minister, whose mother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated two years ago.

However, government spokesman Rammohan Rao said: “The prime minister and the president are absolutely safe. The person who fired the shots has been apprehended.”

There were unconfirmed reports from witnesses that two spectators were wounded by gunfire.

Gandhi and Singh were attending a morning prayer meeting at Raj Ghat, the Jamuna River cremation site and memorial for Mohandas K. Gandhi, the Indian independence leader and father of non-violent civil disobedience. Today marks the 117th anniversary of Gandhi’s birth.

The Press Trust of India news agency reported that a lone gunman, wearing an olive green military uniform and a red beret was arrested in bushes approximately 100 yards from the Gandhi memorial site. The prime minister and the Indian president were inside the memorial, which is surrounded by high walls.

The Press Trust of India said at least three shots were fired before the man was captured by special security staff assigned to the prime minister. The agency reported it was unclear if the gunmen attempted to fire at the prime minister or simply fire in the air.

Because the memorial is recessed, it is not possible for someone standing outside the walls to get a clear view of the interior.

The United News of India, however, reported that the shooting was an attempt on the prime minister’s life by a gunman perched in a tree. The agency said a second gunman escaped. The news agency, one of the two main news services in India, said security officers responded to the incident by firing twelve shots of their own into the air.