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‘When he tries…’: UP minister Dinesh Pratap Singh over verbal spat with Rahul Gandhi in Raebareli
The confrontation between Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh minister Dinesh Pratap Singh took place during DISHA meeting in Raebareli on September 11.
Uttar Pradesh minister Dinesh Pratap Singh on Friday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi behaved as if he owned the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting during a session in Raebareli.
The minister said he supports Gandhi when he serves the people of Raebareli, but stands firmly against him when the DISHA platform is used for party politics or to criticise the government.
“The MP of a constituency chairs the DISHA meeting. As per the guidelines of the Rural Development Department, supervising and implementing 43 programmes is his responsibility. When Rahul Gandhi attends the meeting, he acts as if he is the owner, which I could not accept,” Singh told PTI.
He added, “For all the development works under DISHA, which are meant to serve the people of Raebareli, I will always stand with Rahul Gandhi and provide positive support. However, when he tries to use the DISHA platform as a stage for his party or to criticise the government, I stand firmly against him, so much so that Rahul Gandhi cannot move me.”
The confrontation took place during a high-level review of key central schemes at the Collectorate’s Bachat Bhawan on September 11. The session, attended by Amethi MP and DISHA co-chairperson Kishori Lal Sharma, several MLAs, and block chiefs, reportedly turned heated after Singh questioned officials directly, prompting Gandhi to remind him that members must seek the chair’s permission before speaking. A video of the exchange went viral on social media on Friday.
“In DISHA meetings, members must seek the chair's permission before speaking. I reminded him of this procedure, just as all questions in the Lok Sabha are addressed through the Speaker. A minister should know parliamentary etiquette. The chief minister should take note of such conduct. What message does it send about cabinet discipline?” Sharma told PTI.
Singh, minister of state (independent charge) for horticulture, also addressed a separate controversy on social media regarding a photograph of Gandhi shaking hands with his son, a local block chief.
He alleged Congress supporters circulated the image to troll him, saying, “My son should not have merely shaken hands but touched Rahul Gandhi's feet as a mark of respect since he is my age.”
Singh added that he himself greeted Gandhi, “but he did not shake hands with me,” and called for an end to the controversy, urging, “Let us move forward in ‘apni apni disha’ (our own directions).”
With PTI inputs
