“That is not how my behaviour is. It was a sad incident. I am not happy about it”, said UP BJP MP Sharad Tripathi, whose video of a physical fight with another BJP leader Rakesh Singh Baghel is viral on social media.
“It was a reaction to an action and it happened spontaneously. It wasn’t a personal issue. I can only say that is not my nature and I am not liking it. Whatever has happened, has happened. Can’t say more on it,” Tripathi said.
Two elected representatives of the ruling BJP came to blows during the district planning committee meeting in UP’s Sant Kabir Nagar on Wednesday, 6 March, evening in full public glare.
The incident took place when the planning committee meeting was underway at the Collectorate in the presence of minister in-charge of the district, Ashutosh Tandon.
BJP MP from Sant Kabir Nagar Sharad Tripathi and MLA from Mehdawal, Rakesh Baghel, got involved in a verbal duel over taking credit for a newly laid road. After a brief exchange of words, laced with abuses, both came to blows with one of them using footwear to thrash the other, leaving officials and party leaders stunned.
Singh, while talking to the media, said that whatever happened is public knowledge and he doesn’t intend to speak more on it.
“There was an inaugural function of a road. Both of us were invited for it. He said something over it and it led to an argument. I offered that if he had any issue, we will talk it out in the next room. But he lost his temper. You have seen what has happened. There isn’t anything more to tell. Everybody saw it,” he said.
The video clip of the incident soon surfaced on TV channels.
A senior police official present in the meeting intervened to pacify the two and restore order as tempers ran high.
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