The chief of the Czech opposition struck his head with a crutch in the rally

The chief of the Czech opposition and former Prime Minister Andrej Babis was hit in the head with a metal crutch during an electoral rally.

He was transported to hospital for tests and released shortly after. A woman, who has not been identified, was also treated in the hospital for the same incident.

The attacker was detained by the police. Its motif remains clear.

The attack on Babis was largely condemned, but his party blamed the government for a hate campaign “in display panels and social media”.

The incident occurred during a gathering in Dobrá, about 376 km (234 miles) east of the capital, Prague.

The comrade of deputy Aleš Juchelka, who was with Babis during the rally, said that the party leader (yes) had been touched several times.

He was transported to the hospital by car where, after having made a computed tomography, the doctors reported it.

Czech police said in a brief declaration on X that the suspect had been arrested by police officers present at the rally “immediately after the attack”. They said the case was investigated as a “disorderly conduct”, but could be extended if necessary.

Babis was Czech Prime Minister between 2017 and 2021.

Her assistant, Alena Schillerová, blamed the attack on “hatred spread by ruling parties”.

“This is a direct consequence of their campaign based on fear and division,” she said.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala wished Babis a rapid recovery and told an electoral rally for his party that “violence does not belong to politics”.

The Czechs should vote in the general elections on October 3 and 4.