Yogi Adityanath summons BJP MP Rekha Verma over shoe-fight incident during blanket distribution

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday summoned MP Rekha Verma over a recent tussle between her another BJP lawmakers Shashank Trivedi in Sitapur. Verma will appear at the chief minister's secretariat — known as the Annexe today evening. 

On January 13, BJP lawmakers Rekha Verma and Shashank Trivedi were in Maholi Tehsil office in Sitapur for blankets distribution when supporters of both leaders got into a tussle with each other while taking credit for the charity work.

The brawl between the supporters of the two legislators broke out in the presence of the police and district officials, a video of the incident showed. Police officers requesting anonymity said it started when Dhaurahra MP, Verma and Maholi Nagar panchayat chairman Sarita Gupta were distributing blankets at the programme. The distribution was on when Maholi MLA, Trivedi arrived with his supporters.

He said the MP was distributing the blankets inside a hall of Maholi tehsil while the MLA supporters were of the view that they would distribute blankets among those standing outside. He said the MP started complaining to the MLA about the mismanagement caused by his supporters. This triggered verbal duel between the two politicians and led to brawl among their supporters.

At one point, Verma took off her footwear and waved it in the air in a gesture of retaliation when the supporters of the two leaders clashed. As per PTI, an unidentified number of people were injured in the brawl. 

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Brijpal Singh and Circle Officer Ankit Kumar eventually took both leaders to separate rooms and dispersed their supporters. BJP district unit chief Ajay Gupta admitted that there was chaos following mismanagement at the blanket distribution event, but denied any problem between Verma and Trivedi.