Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday condemned the attack on a school bus in Gurugram by a mob, alleged led by Karni Sena supporters, over the release of Bollywood film “Padmaavat”.

Kejriwal has called the incident a “matter of shame for entire nation”. Stating that fringes have no religion or caste, Kejriwal said “these elements are now after our children because of our silence”.

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“Yesterday (Wednesday), some people pelted stone on a bus carrying little children, I could not sleep and raising this issue on Republic Day… how dare some people few miles away from the national capital can do such a thing,” Kejriwal said.

“When they killed Muslims, we were silent, they burnt Dalits, we were silent, now they are after our children, pelting stones on them, we have to break this silence,” Kejriwal said addressing people in his Republic Day speech at Chhatrasal Stadium here.

Republic Day is marked by the Delhi government a day before it is observed nationwide.

Demanding strong punishment against such elements, Kejriwal called for a strong unity against forces dividing the country in the name of caste and religion.

“I am a Hindu, devotee to Lord Ram, I want to ask what would Lord Ram do with these people had he been here today. He would have punished them as he punished Ravana,” Kejriwal said.

“India is land of great saints… We want peace in out land,” he said, adding some forces are trying to break the peace of the nation.

On Wednesday, around 25 students of GD Goenka World School were on their way home when a group of around 60 activists, believed to be members of a fringe group, attacked the bus with bamboo sticks asking the driver to stop the vehicle.

Buses were torched and vehicles damaged as fringe groups ran amok in Gurugram and Rohini in West Delhi as protests against the release of Padmaavat intensified on Wednesday, 24 January.

Mobs were seen pelting stones at the vehicles. A Haryana Roadways bus was set on fire by the miscreants who demanded that the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film should not be screened in theatres.

Following the attack, many schools in Gurugram decided to remain closed till January 29.

(With agency inputs)