POLISH OPPOSITION leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski has blamed a “culture of hate” for a fatal knife and gun attack at a regional office of his political party yesterday.
The attack in the central city of Lodz began when a 62-year-old man burst into the local office of the Law and Justice party (PiS) yesterday morning reportedly shouting “Kill Kaczynski!”
The man, identified as Ryszard L, shot an assistant to party MEP Janusz Wojciechowski and stabbed the assistant of a party MP. Mr Wojciechowski’s assistant died from the gunshot, while the MP’s assistant was in a critical condition in hospital yesterday.
Before the attack, eye-witnesses reported seeing the man walking around near the office in an agitated state, screaming slogans critical of PiS.
At a hastily convened press conference, party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski was quick to lay the blame for the attack with the media and the government of political rival, prime minister Donald Tusk.
“The attack results from a hate campaign launched against the Law and Justice party,” he said. In future, any attempt to continue this hate campaign “will be treated as incitement to murder”.
The PiS leader said the campaign against his party had intensified since the April air crash that killed his twin brother, President Lech Kaczynski, and leading lights of the party.
Mr Tusk called the attack a “tragedy for all” and warned against jumping to conclusions about the motives for the attack.
“This is a time to restore normality in the country instead of heating up disputes to boiling point,” he said. “This tragic death should not result in the Polish political stage becoming a scene for politicians panting with hatred.”
Polish police are questioning the 62-year-old suspect, a resident of the city of Czestochowa who they say has a criminal record.
