Congress netas come to blows at Oppn protest meeting

Hyderabad: Congress leaders came to blows in the presence of AICC general secretary and State Congress incharge RC Khuntia at the protest demonstration against the government on the alleged Intermediate results fiasco on Saturday.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary V Hanumantha Rao and party leader Nagesh Mudiraj exchanged blows in front of Khuntia and leaders of other parties. The scuffle ended with the intervention of other leaders.

The Congress, Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS), Communist Party of India (CPI) and other organisations staged an all-party protest at Indira Park against the alleged Intermediate results goof-up.

While Hanumantha Rao was addressing the gathering RC Khuntia reached the venue, seeing this Rao asked Nagesh to give his chair to Khuntia. Nagesh felt humiliated and picked an argument with Rao.

They abused each other and later exchanged blows. In the ruckus Hanumantha Rao fell on the dais following which the leaders on the stage interfered and calmed them.

Later, Nagesh said that he was abused by Hanumantha Rao. He said that Rao unnecessarily interfered when was inviting Khuntia on to the dais.

Hanumantha Rao said that there was no personal animosity with Nagesh. The quarrel took place in the spur of the moment.

On the other hand, the Congress has taken the issue seriously and the disciplinary committee of the PCC has met under the chairmanship of M Kodanda Reddy and went through the issue.

The committee felt that senior leader Hanumantha Rao was assaulted by Nagesh Mudiraj, who behaved unfairly.

The committee members made it clear that indiscipline in the party would not be tolerated.

It has asked working president Ponnam Prabhakar to submit a report on the quarrel and it may take action on Nagesh as per the report.