The attacker landed a blow on Pawar's cheek before being pulled away by security staff. He then brandished a small knife as he shouted insults at the minister, who was unhurt by the assault.

"You are all corrupt... People are fed up," the man said, adding that the Indian government must adopt a tough anti-graft law being considered by lawmakers.

The same attacker, who was detained by police on Thursday, had on Saturday assaulted a former minister in a court in New Delhi after a judge handed down a five-year prison term to the politician over a 1996 corruption case.

Other Indian politicians have also recently had shoes thrown at them. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh "strongly condemned" the assault.

"The prime minister regrets the increasing tendency to take recourse to violent means to express disagreement," a statement from his office said.