Shimla: In a major embarrassment to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Himachal Pradesh unit of the party show a worst-type of chaos, indiscipline, and fists fight in the Congress office on Thursday in presence of top state leadership including six-time former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, and AICC in-charge Rajini Patil.
The occasion was change-over of the party command from outgoing state Congress Chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu to his newly successor Kuldeep Singh Rathore, whose appointment was cleared by Rahul Gandhi only a few days back to give a new look to the Congress in the BJP-ruled state, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
The party office, where the ceremony was being held witnessed chaos, slogans, display of factional war and hurdling of chairs that left one party worker injured and later also hospitalised. This was the first time when rival party workers exchanged blows in a state known for 'gentleman' political culture.
The trouble started when outgoing PCC president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu reached the party office, where a lot of party leaders including Virbhadra Singh, Rathore and Rajini Patil, besides PCC general secretaries and former ministers had assembled.
Some Sukhu supporters raised slogans in his favour, the rivals—mainly loyalists of Virbhadra Singh also raised the pitch with counter slogans. This led to complete pandemonium in the Congress party office hall. Some more people joined in the sloganeering.
The situation became so tense that few picked up chairs and started hurling it on the rivals. Despite efforts of the seniors at the dais thing went out of control. Even repeated appeals of Rathore and Rajini Patil did not work. Some party leaders tried to restore order but in vain.
The noisy scenes and hooliganism continued for more than 10 minutes as it was free for all for party workers, who had come quite charged-up to take revenge against Virbhadra Singh, who Sukhu supporters believe, was instrumental in getting him removed from the post, to favour installation of Rathore—a loyalist of former union minister Anand Sharma ahead of the polls.
Earlier in the day, Rathore had also organised a rally in the town which barring Sukhu, was attended by all top leaders including CLP leader (leader of opposition) Mukesh Agnihotri as all pledged to maintain unity in the party to fight the Lok Sabha polls, and win all four seats.
Things turned total reserve when Rathore drove back to PCC office to take charge.
When contacted Rathore told the Millennium Post, "It was a very unfortunate incident. It may have happened in excitement to the change but can't be overlooked. I have conveyed to the party high command that a strong action should be taken against those who were responsible for the worst kind to physical use to power."
He later went to local IGMC hospital to inquire about well being of those injured in the incident. Former president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said those responsible for the chaos should be identified and taken to task.
The incident comes in the backdrop of verbal war, which had erupted between Sukhu and Virbhadra Singh after the AICC replaced PCC president. When Virbhadra Singh accused Sukhu of 'doing a great disservice to the party as PCC chief,' Sukhu had retaliated saying that Singh was unable to repeat the Congress government as a chief minister and rather he (Virbhadra) had only blackmailed the party ahead of the elections.