A BJP MP was beaten up in Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, prompting the government to promise strict action against the guilty.
Sangamlal Kadedin Gupta, the MP from Pratapgarh, was at a Gareeb Kalyan Mela at Sangipur block of the district when the incident took place.
These meals were organised throughout the district on Saturday.
In videos of the incident, Gupta and his supporters can be seen running towards their vehicles while a horde of people chasing them.
Among those present at the venue of the incident were Congress leaders Pramod Tiwari and Aradhana Mishra. The latter is the leader of the Congress in the state assembly.
In another video, Gupta is in a room and is being heckled and jostled by people. Pramod Tiwari also appears involved in the scuffle though it is not clear whether he is trying to save the MP.
When Gupta was escorted out of the room, there was an exchange of abuses with Congress workers milling around him. After that all hell broke loose.
People were chased, beaten and vehicles were damaged.
An altercation between Congress and BJP supporters is believed to have taken a nasty turn. In the video, chants of zindabad and murdabad are clearly heard.
#WATCH | Pratapgarh: A clash broke out b/w supporters of Congress leader Pramod Tiwari & BJP MP Sangam Lal Gupta at 'Garib Kalyan Mela' in Sangipur where both leaders were present. MP & his supporters were allegedly chased & beaten by Tiwari's supporters
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 25, 2021
(Note: Abusive language) pic.twitter.com/Ra9e1HrxqH
Congress supporters said that Gupta had arrived at the venue uninvited with a posse of supporters.
In one of the videos, Gupta, clad in white, falls down while running and is kicked repeatedly even as police personnel rush to save him. His clothes were also torn.
Chaos ensued for hours and the programme was postponed.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said, “Instructions have been given for strictest action against the goondas involved at the earliest”.
Gupta said, “Congress workers made an attempt on my life and that of other party workers”.
Pramod Tiwari has, meanwhile, said that the BJP workers started the ruckus but were outnumbered by the Congress supporters.
The reason for the outrage is still not clear.
From 2017 to 2019, Gupta was an MLA in UP. He is the general secretary of the BJP Backward Classes Morcha.
