Fight over Biryani in Muzaffarnagar

Muzaffarnagar: Several persons were injured after clashes broke out between supporters of Congress's Bijnor candidate Nasimuddin Siddiqui over biryani in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. As per the election commission officials, the biryani was served at the election meeting without permission after which a complaint was lodged by authorities.

The election meeting was organised at the residence of former MLA Maulana Jameel, who had recently joined the Congress.

As per the media reports, the biryani was supposed to be served after the meeting, but clashes erupted between supporters who swarmed to get their hands on the first serving. After violence erupted the cops were called in to disperse the violent mob.

A case has been lodged against 34 persons including Jameel and his son Naeem Ahmad under various sections of the IPC and for violation of the model code of conduct, Circle Officer Ram Mohan Sharma said, adding that nine persons have been arrested so far in connection with the incident, PTI reported.

To keep a check on any untoward incidents, additional forces have been deployed in the nearby villages.

Jameel who was elected from the Meerapur assembly constituency in 2012 on BSP ticket had joined the Congress last week.

Bijnor will vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 11.

Yesterday, Congress workers had assaulted photojournalists in Tamil Nadu for clicking pictures of empty chairs. The scribes who were from a Tamil weekly had come to cover a meeting called by the state Congress to explain the party manifesto to the members from the public. State Congress chief K.S. Alagiri was also present at the meeting apart from other party leaders but no one came forward to stop the attack.