Chhattisgarh Cong leaders brawling in public: Unfortunate, says CM Bhupesh Baghel

Raipur, Oct 31: In the wake of scuffles in public involving Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday said such incidents were unfortunate and asked the party to take cognizance of them.

On Saturday, Sushil Sunny Agrawal, former secretary of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CPCC). was suspended from the party's primary membership after a scuffle broke out between him and a colleague over vehicle parking at Rajiv Bhavan, the party's state office here. State unit chief Mohan Markam as well as media persons were present during the brawl.

Talking to reporters at Swami Vivekanand Airport Raipur before leaving for Uttar Pradesh, Baghel said, "The incident was unfortunate. It should not have happened. The organisation should take cognizance.” Saturday's incident was the latest in a series of clashes between ruling party leaders in public.

Last week, a clash took place between Congress leaders during a party convention in Jashpur district over a purported power sharing agreement between Baghel and state health minister TS Singh Deo.

In another incident last month, a Congress unit in Bilaspur had demanded expulsion of a party MLA after he protested against the registration of a police case against a supporter of Singh Deo. Briefing reporters about his UP tour, the CM said there was resentment towards the Yogi Adityanath government among people there.

"I will attend a farmers' rally (to be addressed by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) in Gorakhpur. Paddy is being sold at (low rate of) Rs 800 to Rs 1200 per quintal and there is no proper arrangement for procurement. Farmers there are upset and are looking at agriculture welfare schemes of Chhattisgarh with great hope," Baghel said.

"They have been demanding that works being done in the interest of farmers in Chhattisgrah should be replicated in Uttar Pradesh. There is resentment among all against the UP government,” he added.