A Facebook comment to fists and midnight FIRs: Gujarat BJP ‘family feud’ erupts in street violence in Vadodara
One group said they were attacked at a tea stall, the other said their car was waylaid. The videos are viral, and the BJP is struggling to contain what seems to be emerging as a pattern of violence
5 min readVadodaraUpdated: Aug 26, 2026 06:31 AM IST
Both complainants have narrated a different account of the same confrontation, accusing the other of gathering as a group, launching an assault and causing injuries. (Express photo)
A Facebook comment was all it took to turn an old BJP-versus-BJP “family feud” in Bhilapur village in Dabhoi taluka of Vadodara into a full-blown street brawl – complete with flying fists, torn clothes, bleeding supporters, ambulances and, eventually, two cross-FIRs filed just before midnight.
What began as social media sparring between the two rival factions spilled out on the road on Monday (August 24), exposing the increasingly bitter factional rivalry within the BJP’s local ranks.
In their cross FIRs lodged at Dabhoi police station, each group accused the other of starting the clash. Videos of the confrontation that went viral on Monday showed groups of men grappling with and assaulting one another on a public road. At least four persons, including two local BJP leaders were injured and moved to Vadodara’s SSG Hospital for treatment.
The first FIR was lodged by 60-year-old Paresh Patel against Yatin Patel, Raghuveersinh Thakor, Bhavesh Patel, Punit Bharwad, Hari Bharwad, and an unidentified person whom the complaint described as suffering from cataract in his eyes.
The other FIR was filed by 34-year-old Navjyotsinh Thakor against Vivek Patel, Kiran Patel, Paresh Patel — the complainant in the first FIR — Janardhan Patel, Dipak Patel, Yogesh Patel, and an unidentified accused.
Both complainants have narrated a different account of the same confrontation, accusing the other of gathering as a group, launching an assault and causing injuries.
A Facebook post and a critical comment
At the centre of the clash allegedly was a recent post on the Facebook page of Bhavesh Patel, chairman of the Vadodara District Panchayat Health Committee about the work of the District Health Department.
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Paresh Patel had posted a comment on the post, suggesting that the Department must work to ensure that people “do not take to addiction and to eliminate liquor and gambling” by “beginning from home”.
It was this seemingly snide comment that allegedly triggered the argument between the two groups. But the Facebook exchange appears to have been only the latest flashpoint in a simmering disagreement.
BJP sources familiar with the local dispute said the two factions had been locked in a rivalry for some time, with differences over political and local administrative issues adding to the friction. The social media comment, they said, worked as the spark that set off an already combustible situation.
A Rashomon story: tea stall attack and an intercepted car
Paresh Patel, who was among those injured, alleged that he was sitting at a tea stall on the outskirts of Bhilapur village with the Deputy Sarpanch and others when Bhavesh Patel and his associates arrived.
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An argument began over the Facebook comment. According to Paresh Patel’s complaint, someone then attacked him from behind and struck him on the head, leaving him in a near-unconscious condition.
Bhavesh Patel, however, linked the confrontation to the cancellation of the licence of a fair-price ration shop in the Bhilapur area.
According to Bhavesh Patel, villagers had raised complaints about ration card holders facing problems in obtaining coupons, prompting an inquiry by the supply department. The subsequent cancellation of the ration shop operator’s licence, he alleged, had become the reason for resentment.
Bhavesh Patel alleged that his vehicle was intercepted by a group of 8-10 people when he was returning from a meeting with the Sarpanch and villagers regarding an Ayushman Card camp.
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“The group opened the doors of the vehicle, dragged out those inside and assaulted them… People accompanying me tried to record the incident on their mobile phones, but the phones were snatched and they were pressured to delete the footage,” he said.
Bhavesh Patel claimed that Raghuveersinh Thakor and Navjyotsinh Thakor – the complainant in the second FIR – were with him and were left injured in the clash. A total of four persons were injured and shifted to SSG hospital in Vadodara city for treatment and medical examination, including a CT scan for head injuries.
A recurring pattern, and red faces in the BJP
The Bhilapur clash is not the first time an internal BJP dispute in Gujarat has spilled into violence. Recently, in Surat, an internal rift within the party took a violent turn inside the office of North Surat MLA Kanti Balar, where an argument between two BJP leaders allegedly escalated into a physical confrontation. A woman corporator and her husband were seriously injured in that incident.
A senior BJP leader from the district said, “The Bhilapur incident follows a similar but awkward pattern for the party. Rival groups begin sparring on social media and then eventually clash in public and bring the police into the picture. It is certainly not encouraging for the party’s image, which has always maintained the values of one big family. We can have differences but not clash like this… The party executive will look into the incident closely to understand how many are actually BJP workers… and discuss with senior leaders.”
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An official of the Dabhoi police station said that an investigation is underway into the two FIRs.
Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.
Expertise:
Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including:
Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground.
Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure.
Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case).
Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions.
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