A brief clash took place between Congress party workers and Samajwadi Party activists when they tried to breach the security cordon of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi at a programme in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district on Saturday, police said.
Wearing T-Shirts with "Rahul
Gandhi
Sharm Karo (Rahul Gandhi, feel shame)" printed on them, the Samajwadi Party activists started shouting slogans "Rahul Gandhi go back... We are not beggars" as Gandhi finished his speech at the mass contact programme in Padrauna town, some 300 km from Lucknow.
They were protesting the "begging" remark Gandhi made during a rally in Allahabad's Phulpur town Nov 14. Kicking off the Congress campaign for the ensuing assembly elections, he had asked "for how long would UP youths go and beg in Maharashtra?".
After Gandhi finished his speech, one after the other, the SP activists, who were present in the audience, started jumping over the barricades in their attempt to reach the Congress leader. However, they were stopped by security personnel and Congress activists.
After a minor scuffle with the Samajwadi protesters, Congress activists handed them over to security personnel.
"By that time Rahul Gandhi had left the site," said a local Congress leader.
Additional Superintendent of Police Jawahar Singh said, "Everything is in control now."
He declined to confirm if anyone has been detained.