By Vishal Rana, Hamirpur
Dateline: Hamirpur – A meeting convened by the Congress party to discuss government achievements and development projects descended into public disarray on Wednesday, as simmering internal factionalism boiled over into a physical altercation among workers. The trigger for the unprecedented scene was a perceived slight: a leader’s failure to mention a rival leader’s name during his address.
The incident, which unfolded at the PWD Rest House in the district headquarters, laid bare the deep-seated rifts within the party’s local unit, transforming a stage meant for showcasing unity into a theatre of conflict.
From Discourse to Disruption
The meeting, attended by a large number of workers and senior leaders including the Chief Minister’s Advisor, Sunil Sharma Bittu, was intended to be a platform for discussing developmental works. However, the agenda was swiftly derailed when a section of workers, loyal to a leader whose name was conspicuously absent from the speeches, expressed their strong disapproval.
What began as verbal protests soon escalated into a full-blown confrontation, with workers from opposing groups pushing and shoving each other inside the meeting hall. The chaos quickly spilled out into the compound of the Rest House.
Chants of “Black Sheep” Echo as Factions Face Off
The air was thick with sloganeering, with chants of “kali bheden nahi chalegi” (black sheep will not be tolerated) ringing out, pointing to accusations of sabotage and disloyalty within the ranks. It took the intervention of senior leaders present to eventually pacify the warring groups and restore a semblance of order, allowing the meeting to resume after a significant delay.
Beyond the immediate trigger of the clash, the frustration among the cadre was palpable. Many workers voiced their anger over what they called “hollow assurances” and a glaring lack of visible development work on the ground in their constituencies. Demands for immediate compensation for disaster-affected individuals were also raised, highlighting a perceived gap between administrative promises and public delivery.
In an attempt to downplay the severity of the incident, the party’s Development In-charge, Sunil Kumar, described it as a “minor scuffle between a few workers.” He asserted that the matter had been resolved and that development works were being carried out impartially across the state. Upon being asked, Advocate Rohit Sharma, like several other Congress senior leaders, clarified that he was unaware of the meeting, which is why he did not attend.
The meeting was attended by several prominent figures, including Dr. Puspendra Verma, former MLA Kuldeep Pathania, and APMC Chairman Ajay Sharma, alongside Sunil Sharma Bittu.
The event serves as a stark indicator of the growing discontent and internal fissures that threaten to undermine the party’s cohesion, turning a strategy session into a public spectacle of discord.