Two BJP lawmakers from Uttar Pradesh exchanged blows and hit each other with shoes during an official meeting on Wednesday after a fight over placement of names on foundation stone. The incident took place in UP's Sant Kabir Nagar in full public view and in the presence of journalists. The fight broke out after BJP MP Sharad Tripathi asked why his name was not included on the foundation stone for a local road. Rakesh Baghel, one of the MLAs from the district, said it was his decision. The argument then quickly devolved into obscenities with Baghel daring his opponent to ask the questions "to his shoe". Soon, Tripathi started bashing the other with his shoe and Baghel responded in kind as well. They were also throwing fists and abusing each other. #WATCH Sant Kabir Nagar: BJP MP Sharad Tripathi and BJP MLA Rakesh Singh exchange blows after an argument broke out over placement of names on a foundation stone of a project pic.twitter.com/gP5RM8DgId — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2019 Police officers attending the meeting had to intervene to end the fight.<doc-sep>A video grab of the scuffle on Wednesday. (ANI Photo) A video grab of the scuffle on Wednesday. (ANI Photo) An argument between two elected representatives in Uttar Pradesh over names on foundation stones for projects turned ugly Wednesday after BJP MP from Sant Kabir Nagar, Sharad Tripathi rained blows with his shoe on Menhdawal BJP MLA Rakesh Singh Baghel. The fracas, videos of which surfaced on social media, erupted at a meeting in the district collectorate comprising not just senior administration and police officers but Ashutosh Tandon, the BJP minister in charge of the district, who attempted to stop the fight. Watch video: BJP leaders come to blows at party meet in UP The videos show Tripathi (47) hitting Baghel (30) with his shoe after they argue over the foundation stone. Baghel then rises and tries to assault Tripathi when police officers step in, separated the two and escort Tripathi out of the conference room. Minutes after the incident, Baghel’s supporters gathered outside the collectorate demanding action against the MP. Police even had to lock Tripathi in a room after Baghel’s supported tried to force their way into the district office and were eventually pushed out by police using batons. Baghel’s supporters were still protesting outside the collectorate late Wednesday, many demanding “revenge”, even as police managed to escort Tripathi out. Raveesh Gupta, District Magistrate, Sant Kabir Nagar, who was part of the meeting, told The Indian Express, “The dispute between the MP and MLA erupted during a meeting on names on the foundation stone for some development projects. The situation is under control now.” Superintendent of Police, Rakesh Tomar said, “While no complaint has been received, we are conducting an inquiry into the incident and action will be taken against anyone found guilty.” BJP state president Mahendra Nath Pandey called the entire incident “ashobhaaniya” (improper) and “atyant Amariyadit” (extremely undignified) and said Tripathi and Baghel have been summoned to Lucknow. While Baghel could not be contacted for comment, Tripathi said: “I regret the incident and feel bad about it. What happened was against my normal behaviour. If I am summoned by the state chief then I will put my point across.” In the videos, Tripathi is heard arguing with Baghel that his name was missing from foundation stones of development projects in Menhdawal, which is Baghel’s constituency. When Tripathi questions Public Works Department engineers at the meeting over the issue, Baghel interrupts and says, “Ask me about this, I have put in the stones.” As the argument continues, Baghel threatens Tripathi and says, “Juta nikalen? (should I take out my shoes)”, when Tripathi removes his own shoe and repeatedly assaults Baghel, who in turn defends himself and uses his fists. Tripathi and Singh are both first-time elected representatives. Baghel, whose constituency adjoins Gorakhpur, is a product of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, an outfit started by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Sources in Sant Kabir Nagar said his vehicle still flies the flag of the Hindu Yuva Vahini. Tripathi, is from an old BJP family in UP. His father Rama Pati Ram Tripathi has held several party posts and was head of the state BJP unit from 2007 to 2010.<doc-sep>By Express News Service 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.<doc-sep>A commonly heard phrase when people disagree with each other is that they 'traded barbs'. However, two BJP legislators took it many steps ahead today. Barbs escalated to shoes! In a bizarre video that is going viral on social media the argument between two BJP lawmakers from Uttar Pradesh escalated to such a level that one started hitting the other with a shoe. The incident happened at a District Action Plan Committee meeting at the Sant Kabir Nagar Collectorate. A disagreement broke out between BJP MP Sharad Tripathi and BJP MLA Rakesh Singh Baghel. The disagreement became a thrashing. It started raining shoes on MLA Rakesh Singh courtesy Sharad Tripathi. However, Tripathi did not take the 'shoewer' silently, he hit back by slapping the MP. Watch the video here: #WATCH Sant Kabir Nagar: BJP MP Sharad Tripathi and BJP MLA Rakesh Singh exchange blows after an argument broke out over placement of names on a foundation stone of a project pic.twitter.com/gP5RM8DgId ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2019 The reason for the 'shoedown'? The two lawmakers were arguing over the placement of names on a foundation stone of a project. Also present in the august house were UP minister of technological and medical education Ashutosh Tandon, district panchayat head, DM as well as officials from different departments and members of the district panchayat. Not only did they engage in fisticuffs, but also showered abuses on each other. When the present ministers and the police tried to mediate, they were paid no heed to. "The meeting was underway when the brawl broke out between the BJP MP and MLA over some issue related to PWD. We could not even complete the meeting. This is highly condemnable. We were trying to discuss things about development, members and officers were also present," an eyewitness told news agency ANI. Baghel has not taken the situation lightly. The MLA and his supporters protested outside the District Magistrate office demanding the arrest of BJP MP Sharad Tripathi. Sant Kabir Nagar: BJP MLA Rakesh Singh Baghel and his supporters protest outside the District Magistrate office demanding arrest of BJP MP Sharad Tripathi with whom Baghel was involved in a brawl earlier today. pic.twitter.com/8DxFd85WOc ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2019 The state unit of the BJP has taken note of the 'condemnable incident'. Giving a statement, MN Pandey, BJP UP president said, "We have taken cognizance of this condemnable incident and both have been summoned to Lucknow. Strict disciplinary action will be taken." (with inputs from JV Shivendra Srivastava)<doc-sep>
The fight escalated after a verbal duel over taking credit for a newly laid road in the district’s Mehdawal area. Two elected representatives of the ruling BJP came to blows during the district planning committee meeting here on Wednesday 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. The party State president Mahendra Nath Pandey took “serious” cognisance of the incident and summoned both the lawmakers to the State capital. “I have taken serious cognisance of the incident and have summoned both of them to Lucknow. Disciplinary action will take as per the party discipline,” said Pandey. “The incident is ‘ashobhniya’ (indecent) and ‘amaryadit’ (indignified),” he added. 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 during the district planning panel meet. After a brief exchange of words, laced with abuses, both came to blows with one of them using a shoe to thrash the other, leaving officials and party leaders stunned. UP's Sant Kabir Nagar BJP MP Sharad Tripathi attacked local BJP MLA Rakesh Baghel with shoe during a public meeting after an altercation began over MP's name missing from inauguration plate. pic.twitter.com/BL6RiMTLkX — Piyush Rai | ‏‎پیوش رائے (@Benarasiyaa) March 6, 2019 The video clip of the incident surfaced on TV channels. A senior police official present in the meeting intervened to pacify the two and restore order as tempers ran high. In the meantime, Tandon, the State medical education minister, left the place. The video shows Tripathi getting furious, complaining that his name was missing from the foundation stone for a road in the district’s Mehdawal area. Asked to comment, BJP district president Set Bhan Rai said, “The minister called me and told me about the clash between the MP and the MLA during the meeting as I was somewhere else. The State BJP president also asked me about the incident.”