"Action should be taken against whoever raised a shoe": Samajwadi MP Patel reacts to brawl between UP Congress leaders

Emphasising that internal disagreements should be resolved through dialogue rather than public confrontations, the parliamentarian stressed the importance of democratic decorum within political parties.

Samajwadi Party (SP) Member of Parliament (MP) Shiv Pal Singh Patel reacted strongly to the scuffle between Congress leaders in Lucknow, terming the incident "highly condemnable" and demanding strict disciplinary action against those involved. Speaking to reporters, the SP leader stated that such physical altercations severely dent a political organization's public image.

"Action should be taken against whoever raised a shoe. This tarnishes the party's image. It is highly condemnable. Such things should not happen," Patel said. Emphasising that internal disagreements should be resolved through dialogue rather than public confrontations, the parliamentarian stressed the importance of democratic decorum within political parties.

"Disputes can occur, but one should present their views on the platform rather than fighting on it like this... I condemn this," he added. On Sunday, a scuffle broke out between Congress workers at the office of former Uttar Pradesh (UP) Congress president Ajay Rai in Lucknow, ahead of Aradhana Misra-Mona's charge-taking ceremony as the new state Congress president.

The incident comes as the Congress prepares to strengthen its organisation in UP ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with Mona expressing confidence in the party's ability to take on the political challenges in the state. Rai alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls had resulted in the removal of names of vulnerable people living in slum settlements, thereby depriving them of their right to vote. He also alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner was working under government pressure.

"From the information provided to me, our first-year student, Aditya Kumar from Bhagalpur, had taken admission in August and his mid-Semester exams were underway," Rai said. Rai further urged those supporting the revision exercise to visit slum settlements to understand the situation on the ground, claiming that ordinary citizens and economically weaker sections were distressed over the process.

The Congress appointed Aradhana Mishra 'Mona', a three-time MLA from Rampur Khas in Pratapgarh and former Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, as the new president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) on October 2, 2026, replacing Ajay Rai. The organisational reshuffle comes ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, as the party seeks to strengthen its state unit and expand its political outreach. The Congress also appointed Saharanpur MP Imran Masood as the working president, while Devinder Nishad and Alok Prasad were named senior vice presidents. Mishra has emphasised strengthening the party at the grassroots level, taking all leaders and workers along, and working with INDIA bloc ally Samajwadi Party ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls.

Meanwhile, Aradhana Misra-Mona said that her priority as the new state Congress president would be to uphold the trust placed in her by party workers and the leadership, while working towards forming the government in Uttar Pradesh in 2027. (ANI)