Cong leaders manhandled during meeting at Patna party office

Congress leaders and their supporters were involved in a fracas in Patna's Sadakat Ashram. The Congress had organised a meeting of its farmers' cell at the party's state headquarters were newly appointed in-charge of Bihar, Bhakt Charan Das was also present. The meeting was called to discuss the strategy to be adopted over the ongoing farmer's agitation.

Patna:All is not well within the Congress in Bihar and it was proved once again on Tuesday when a group of MLAs and their supporters were involved in a fracas with leaders sitting on the dais in Patna's Sadakat Ashram.

The Congress had organised a meeting of its farmers' cell at the party's state headquarters were newly appointed in-charge of Bihar, Bhakt Charan Das was also present. The meeting was called to discuss the strategy to be adopted over the ongoing farmer's agitation.

Matters came to a head when leaders and their supporters began pushing and shoving each other after one group was allegedly denied a chance to make a speech. In the melee, one of the MLAs fell from the dais. Chairs were also thrown during the 30-minute ruckus. There were also allegations of being the ruling BJP and JDU agents.

The violence began after one of the groups alleged that they were not given a chance to deliver a speech and make their views known. They climbed on to the stage and raised objections. Soon their supporters also climbed on to the stage and created a ruckus.

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Bhakt Charan Das who was holding the microphone, tried to calm the agitated members as did Madan Mohan Jha, the Congress state president and other senior leaders present on the stage. But the angry MLAs were not in a mood to listen to anyone.

Das had earlier claimed that the Bihar Congress was united and there were no differences within the party.

The differences in the Bihar Congress came to the fore after the party's under performance in the recently concluded assembly election. The party won just 19 seats, 7 seats less compared to the 2015 assembly election despite contesting on a larger number of seats.

When contacted, Madan Mohan Jha refused to comment on this incident.

On January 5, Congress former MLA Bharat Singh had claimed that 11 newly elected MLAs were likely to quit the party and join the NDA soon.

IANS Report