Heated Confrontation Erupts Between Rahul Gandhi and UP Minister

A routine District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting in Raebareli turned into a battleground of words on September 11, as Congress Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Minister Dinesh Pratap Singh engaged in a heated exchange that has since gone viral on social media. The confrontation, held at the Collectorate’s Bachat Bhawan, exposed deep political tensions during a session meant to focus on development schemes.

The clash erupted when Singh, the state’s Minister of Horticulture and a former Congress member who defected to the BJP in 2018, began questioning officials without seeking permission from Gandhi, the meeting’s chairperson. Amethi MP and DISHA co-chairperson Kishori Lal Sharma intervened, reminding Singh of protocol. “In DISHA meetings, members must seek the chair’s approval before speaking, just like in the Lok Sabha where questions go through the Speaker,” Sharma told PTI, criticizing Singh’s conduct as unbecoming of a minister. “The chief minister should note this lack of cabinet discipline,” he added.

Singh, undeterred, later took to social media to address a viral photo of Gandhi shaking hands with his son, a local block chief, which Congress supporters allegedly used to troll him. “My son should have touched Rahul Gandhi’s feet out of respect, given his age,” Singh posted, noting that Gandhi did not shake hands with him. Urging an end to the controversy, he quipped, “Let us move forward in ‘apni apni disha’ (our own directions).”

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The meeting saw further friction, with expelled Samajwadi Party MLA Manoj Kumar Pandey boycotting the session after his proposal was rejected, and Lalganj block head Shivani Singh skipping it, alleging her vehicle was denied entry to the venue. The discord followed a BJP-led protest against Gandhi a day earlier, where Singh and party workers demanded an apology for alleged derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother during a Congress rally in Bihar.

BJP MLA Aditi Singh, representing Raebareli (Sadar), condemned the spat, emphasizing that DISHA meetings should prioritize development over politics. “These forums are for public welfare, not political agendas,” she told PTI. “Regardless of party lines, we must focus on constituency development.” She declined to comment on individual behavior but urged all parties to maintain decorum.

The incident highlights ongoing political rivalries in Raebareli, a Congress stronghold, where Singh, who once contested against Sonia Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, has a history of clashing with the Gandhi family. As the viral video fuels debates online, the episode underscores the challenge of keeping development-focused platforms free from partisan conflicts, with both sides accusing the other of undermining the public’s interests.

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