In a major embarrassment to the Bharatiya Janata Party, an MP and an MLA of the ruling party clashed during the district planning meeting in Sant Kabir Nagar in presence of Medical Education Minister Ashutosh Tandon on Wednesday, drawing jeer and condemnation from opposition parties.
Sharad Tripathi. the MP from Sant Kabir Nagar, first beat up Rakesh Singh Baghel, the MLA from Medhawal, with shoes and later the MLA retaliated and slapped the MP.
Both the leaders abused each other as Ashutosh Tandon remained a mute spectator. As other leaders, officers and policemen rushed to separate them, Tandon made a quite retreat.
Baghel’s supporters have lodged an FIR against the party MP, demanding immediate action against Tripathi.
Both the leaders were attending the district planning meeting at the collectorate on Wednesday in presence of Health Minister Ashutosh Tandon when Sharad Tripathi asked the junior engineer why his name was missing from the inauguration plaque.
Baghel spoke in support of the junior engineer saying even his (MLA’s) name was not there. This started a heated argument between the two.
The MP was heard saying it was his constitutional right to have his name on the plaque. When Baghel said he also was an MLA, the MP said: “Maine aise kayee MLA paida kar diye hai” (I have made several persons MLAs).
After this the MP took out his shoes and beat up the MLA. The shocked MLA ran towards MP and slapped him. The police and senior party leaders intervened and separated both but they continued to abuse each other. In the meantime, Tandon, who was presiding over the meeting, silently left the room.
The MP, who is the son of former UP BJP president Ramapat Ram Tripathi, is considered close to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh while Baghel is said to be close to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The opposition parties condemned the incident. Senior Congress leader Amarnath Agarwal said the incident reflected the “discipline in the party with a difference”.
Sources in the BJP said party state president Mahendra Nath Pandey had sought a report from the party district in-charge who was present when this incident took place.