LUCKNOW: Hurt by the embarrassing scuffle between two BJP lawmakers – MP Sharad Tripathi and MLA Rakesh Singh Baghel –who exchanged fists and shoes at an official meeting, UP CM Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that indiscipline had no place in the party and that a strict disciplinary action against the two erring leaders was certain.
On the other, the central leadership of BJP summoned organisational secretary Sunil Bansal to Delhi on Thursday to get a sense of the sordid episode so that required action could be initiated against the warring leaders. Notably, Shahrad Tripathi, the BJP MP from Sant Kabirnagar and Rakesh Singh Baghel, party MLA from Mehdawal had come to blows using choicest expletives against each other over a petty issue. It all happened in the presence of Yogi cabinet minister and incharge Sant Kabirnagar, Ashutosh Tandon, and media persons at the District Coordination Meeting convened by top officials to review development projects and other work in the area on Wednesday.
As the brawl was caught on camera and was doing rounds on social media, both Tripathi and Baghel were summoned by the BJP state chief Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey and also CM Yogi Adityanath to Lucknow on Thursday.
WATCH : BJP lawmakers fight in Uttar Pradesh
The fight, caught on tape, took place during a meeting at the district collectorate in Sant Kabir Nagar in the presence of minister in charge of the district, Ashutosh Tandon. Speaking at an event in the state capital, CM Yogi said: "BJP is a disciplined party. Indiscipline will not be tolerated. In this particular case, strict action will be taken against the guilty."
Even the party’s state chief Pandey claimed that strictest action would be taken against the duo for gross indiscipline and shameful act. In fact, the trigger was a the missing name of Tripathi from the foundation stone of a newly laid road in the district. Infuriated Tripathi when asked the reason for the same, Mehdawal MLA Rakesh Baghel got into an argument with the MP.
After a brief exchange of words, the MP got up from his seat and began thrashing the MLA with his shoe in full media glare. The MLA too landed a few blows on Tripathi. Just ahead of Lok Sabha election, the incident had left the party red-faced. Meanwhile, Sant Kabirnagar police lodged an FIR against unidentified trouble makers, possibly, Baghel’s supporters, who created a ruckus at the Collectorate after the ugly incident. The police booked unidentified persons who indulged in vandalism damaging the office property of DM office on the basis of the complaint given by the DM. The trouble makers were booked under various sections of IPC including 143, 427, Clause 7 of Criminal Law Amendment
Act-2013 and Sections 3 and 4 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.