Jaipur: A heated argument broke out late Sunday night in Bonli in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur between Congress MLA Indira Meena and BJP Mandal President Hanuman Dixit over the placement of a plaque near a statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
The confrontation reportedly turned physical, with MLA Meena allegedly pulling Dixit by the collar and tearing his shirt.
During the scuffle, she was heard questioning, “Does being from BJP mean you can resort to hooliganism? ”
The statue of Dr Ambedkar was unveiled two years ago in Bonli, where a traffic intersection is now under construction by the Public Works Department (PWD).
The foundation stone for the project was laid by the Bamanwas MLA, Indira Meena, and the original plaque included her name along with that of former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
On Sunday night, this plaque was reportedly removed. In its place, another plaque bearing the names of Indira Meena and Municipality President Kamlesh Devi Joshi was to be installed. However, BJP’s Bonli Mandal President Hanuman Dixit and local Pradhan Krishna Poswal objected to the installation and had it removed. After being informed of the removal, MLA Indira Meena arrived at the location around midnight.
On seeing the new plaque removed, she confronted Hanuman Dixit. The argument intensified, and when Dixit attempted to leave in his vehicle, Meena reportedly climbed onto the footrest of his car and continued the confrontation. A brief scuffle ensued.
The standoff continued for nearly two hours, prompting the arrival of senior officials, including Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Chandra Prakash Verma, ASP Neelkamal, and SHO Radha Raman Gupta.
The officials intervened and pacified both parties.
Currently, both plaques have been placed in safe custody.
The statue of Dr Ambedkar was inaugurated two years ago at the Baunli intersection, with PWD handling the ongoing construction. The plaque dispute appears to be politically charged, centering on the credit for the project and representation at the site, said officials.
IANS
