With resentment brewing up against the State Congress President, Nirmal Khatri, for taking one sided action in connection with conflict between the two Party leaders on Wednesday, the premises of the state head-quarter wore deserted look on Friday as restrictions have been made for the leaders to sit in open inside UPCC premises. Everyone has been asked to sit inside the office room and not in open for any kind of discussion hence the leaders preferred to sit outside UPCC.
Besides, most of the senior leaders were also surprised that how the former UPCC spokesman, Ashok Singh, was spared by Khatri just with a notice even when he openly waved weapon inside the Party office campus and had alleged to have tried to open fire and kill a fellow colleague. A case of making an attempt on life has been already registered with the local Hussainganj police station against Ashok Singh by the other leader Jamuna Shukla.
The premises of the UPCC, which always witnesses busy political activities as several dozens of Congressmen frequented the office almost daily, despite of being given step-motherly treatment by successive state presidents and failed to find their names in the Party Organisation. These leaders were hesitant to enter the UPCC premises as instructions were reportedly given that no one should be allowed to sit in open and discuss the Party matters after the Wednesday’s incident.
With these leaders now preferring to keep themselves out of Congress office, the Party state head-quarter on Friday wore a deserted look. Surprisingly, a majority of leaders who entered the premises on Friday were office bearers in Nirmal Khatri’s committee and had to show their solidarity and full support to the state president, on his decision to remove Jamuna Shukla. It may be mentioned here that Khatri also appeared at UPCC on Friday and discussed the Wednesday’s incident.
Sources said that though any leader not opened his mouth against Khatri’s decision, but they were reportedly unhappy particularly in the manner in which the State president took action just against Jamuna Shukla, that too without listening his side. ``The move of Khatri to take action just against Shukla that too without giving him a chance to present his side is not just unfortunate but highly objectionable”, asserted a Congress MlA while reacting on the issue. ``The move of Khatri also showed that the leaders who could took anyone for ransom after whipping out weapon inside the UPCC premises had the patronage of State president, hence Ashok Singh was just served a notice and other side was punished”, he added. Interestingly, majority of the Congress leaders said that to save his skin, Ashok Singh, twisted the matter claiming that Jamuna Shukla was abusing Nirmal Khatri hence he lost his cool and took out weapon.
Meanwhile, reacting on action against him, Jamuna Shukla said that he had nothing against Nirmal Khatri but was upset that he was removed just on advise of some persons, who were close to State President and were misguiding him on every occasion. He also claimed that Ashok Singh is making false claims that he had abused Khatri, but the fact is that, the former spokesman openly abused Congress All India Vice-President, Rahul Gandhi, and as he could not tolerate it so he was engaged in heated exchange of words with Ashok Singh, but had never though that his colleague would take out a weapon and made an attempt on his life. Shukla said that he would present his side before senior leaders but would also not hesitate to sit on dharna if the cops would not arrest Ashok Singh and cancel his arms license so he could not misuse the weapon.