LUCKNOW: Two BJP lawmakers – an MP and an MLA — hurled expletives and rained blows on each other during an official meeting on Wednesday.
The incident took place at the Sant Kabir Nagar district coordination meeting convened by top public officials to review development projects in the area. State minister for medical education Ashutosh Tandon and journalists were also present in the meeting.
The lawmakers put their ‘party with a difference’ to utter shame just ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
WATCH: BJP MP thrashes party MLA with shoe, gets slapped
BJP’s Sant Kabir Nagar MP Sharad Tripathi and Rakesh Baghel, one of the MLAs from the district, were involved in a scuffle after Tripathi asked why his name was not included on the foundation stone for a local road and Baghel said it was his decision.
The argument then snowballed into obscenities with Baghel daring Tripathi to ask the questions “to his shoe”. An infuriated Tripathi then took out his shoe and lashed out at Baghel. The MLA responded by slapping the MP till the people present in the meeting separated the two.
The entire episode was captured on camera.
Baghel, who represents Menhdawal assembly constituency, is also associated with the Hindu Yuva Vahini, the right-wing group founded by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The state BJP leadership condemned the act by the two leaders calling it gross indiscipline.