‘States’ clash on Punjab Mail: MP kin, minister spar for seat

The scuffle inside an airconditioned compartment of the Punjab Mail on Friday led to Samajwadi Party activists stoning Gupta’s compartment as it reached Bijori, 15 km before Jhansi.

Minister Gupta, who was on his way to Gwalior for his daughter’s engagement, reportedly found Chhatrapal Singh, who identified himself as Chandrapal Singh’s brother, occupying his seat.

When Chhatrapal refused to vacate the seat, Gupta took police help to force him to get off the train at Bina, Madhya Pradesh. However, the minister overheard the MP’s brother getting in touch with Samajwadi Party activists in Uttar Pradesh asking them to gather at Jhansi.

Sensing trouble, Gupta sought additional police protection but the mob attacked his compartment 15 km before the train reached Jhansi. The minister, who is protected by an armed guard, and his relatives were safe but a policeman and a couple of passengers were injured.

Gupta said the police had to open fire to scare away the mob when matters got out of hand.

BJP supporters targeted the Samajwadi Party office in Bhopal at night to avenge the attack. Two Samajwadi activists were lucky to escape unhurt.

“It was a personal fight involving the minister but the party (BJP) gave it a political colour,” Gauri Singh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party’s Madhya Pradesh unit chief said. He demanded Gupta be sacked and called for a judicial inquiry into the incident.

“Though we don’t believe in violence, we will retaliate if those who attacked the party office are not brought to book,” Yadav warned.

MP Chandrapal Singh, who was not on the train, gave his supporters a clean chit even as he threatened to come to Madhya Pradesh to teach the BJP a lesson. However the state party unit has restricted itself to dharnas and submitting memoranda to district collectors.

But an aggressive Madhya Pradesh BJP has said it will write to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav over the attack.

It submitted a memorandum to the Governor today seeking Union Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav’s resignation. “If a minister can be attacked on the train what about a common man,” BJP Bhopal district chief Surendranath Singh asked.

Gupta has apprised his Chief Minister, Babulal Gaur, about the incident.