Bareilly: Dissent among BJP workers in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly has come to the fore as supporters of eight-time MP Santosh Gangwar, who was denied ticket, staged a protest and gheraoed state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary on Monday night.
This time, BJP has fielded Chhatrapal Gangwar from Bareilly seat. Ever since then a section of the party workers belonging to Santosh Gangwar group are angry at the leadership.
This apart, recently an audio clip went viral where mayor Dr Umesh Gautam is heard allegedly insulting the Kurmi community and making comments against Santosh Gangwar.
Raising slogans against the mayor, the workers created a ruckus outside Santosh Gangwar's office. When BJP state president arrived at Bareilly he had to face the anger of the workers.
The BJP workers blocked the road and gheraoed Chaudhary outside Gangwar's office at Bhrat Seva Trust. They raised slogans against the mayor demanding his removal and even threatened to boycott the polls. Later, Gangwar himself rescued Chaudhury and escorted him out.
Gautam, however, said that Gangwar is a senior leader of the party and he respects him. "The allegation of making objectionable comments against him is completely baseless. The elections are being fought under the leadership of Gangwar," he said.
When contacted, Gangwar said that he had left for PM Modi's rally in Pilibhit with the state president and is not aware of what happened outside his office.
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