The Congress came in for some unwarranted embarrassment as a video emerged showing two of its leaders involved in a physical altercation at a press conference at the party’s state headquarters in Bhopal on Monday. Videos of the incident that went viral on social media showed MP Congress Scheduled Caste Department president Pradeep Ahirwar and its spokesperson Shaharyar Khan coming to blows over the “role” of senior party leader Digvijaya Singh in the party’s rout in the polls held last year.
The video, also tweeted by Madhya Pradesh BJP spokesperson Narendra Saluja, shows the two party leaders dealing blows at each other and hurling abuses. According to The Indian Express, Singh’s role in ticket distribution was the specific reason behind the fight.
Citing party insiders, IE reported that the argument began after Ahirwar accused Digvijaya Singh, former MP chief minister and currently a Rajya Sabha MP, of mistakes in ticket distribution, which Khan contested. This led to a heated discussion between the two leaders that soon escalated into a scuffle during which Khan fell to the ground.
“We were at the PCC campus and talking about the Assembly election loss when Ahirwar alleged that Digvijaya took money for ticket distribution. He also questioned Digvijaya’s statements blaming EVMs, which made me angry,” Khan told IE, adding that it was “all a ploy by Ahirwar to leave the party and join the BJP”.
On the other hand, Ahirwar accused Khan of being “anti-Dalit” and “harbouring ill feelings” towards him. Ahirwar claimed there was some discussion about the Assembly elections, but he never said a word against Digvijaya.
Meanwhile, the Congress party has taken note of the matter and issued show cause notices to the two leaders and said that disciplinary action would be taken if the explanation by the two leaders is not found to be satisfactory.