Cong’s farmer wing leader manhandled in Shahpura

Congress Kisan Cell state president Sandeep Choudhary was manhandled by supporters of another leader on Friday and two leaders entered into a verbal duel in Jaipur, bringing party infighting to the fore ahead of assembly elections due by the year-end.

Choudhary was manhandled allegedly in the presence of state party in-chage Avinah Pande during a ‘Mera Booth Mera Gaurav’ (MBMG) programme at Shahpura near Jaipur. The programme aims to strengthen booth management and connect with people at last mile.

The video that went viral on social media shows that supporters of another leader were dragging and manhandling Sandeep, throwing chairs and shouting slogans.

“When I and block president Raj Kumar Jat were getting onto the dais, I was pushed by a local leader and another leader asked his supporters to beat us. Our vehicles were damaged; we saved our lives with difficulty,” said Choudhary, a Pradesh Congress Committee member who is vying for the ticket for the Shahpura assembly constituency.

He alleged that the act was planned and a conspiracy against him. “I condemn the act and will apprise AICC president Rahul Gandhi and state party chief Sachin Pilot about this. I am not registering a police complaint as I believe in the philosophy of Gandhi,” he said. “I have been targeted as I am preparing to contest from Shahpura.”

Pande said, “The reported manhandling of Choudhary did not take place in my presence. When I was there, slogans were shouted but it was settled. Later, Choudhary called me and told about the incident. We are trying to enquire into the incident. Choudhary has not named anyone involved in the act.”

In the Kishanpole assembly constituency in Jaipur, former mayor Jyoti Khandelwal and former MLA candidate Ameen Kagzi had a verbal tiff over burning of an effigy during a protest over increase in oil prices. Khandelwal and Kagzi are eyeing for the ticket for Kishanpole.

Sources present at the spot said the scheduled time for burning the effigy was 11 am; when Khandelwal reached the protest venue at 11.07am, the effigy was already burnt. Objecting to this, she said “what was the hurry when workers are still coming in.” This led to a hot exchange of words between Khandelwal and Kagzi

On the Shahpura incident, state party spokesperson Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said, “Whatever happened is unfortunate and will be probed.”

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