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BHOPAL: AICC president Rahul Gandhi has called an urgent meeting with party leaders from Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday morning. Sources said state Congress president Kamal Nath, chairman of election campaign committee Jyotiraditya Scindia, former chief minister Digvijaya Singh , Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh and AICC general secretary in-charge Deepak Babaria have been called for the meeting scheduled for 10 am Tuesday in New Delhi.

Sources said that the central leadership is disturbed with the news of Deepak Babaria being manhandled in Rewa by a group of Congress workers on Sunday. Deepak Babaria was addressing a press conference in the circuit house in Rewa town when answering a question on who would be chief minister if the Congress party came to power in the upcoming November assembly elections, Babaria specified that it would probably be Jyotiraditya Scindia or Kamal Nath.

He was also asked if leader of Opposition Ajay Singh who is known to be influential in the Rewa-Satna-Sidhi region of the state is a likely chief ministerial probable. To this Babaria said, “Whatever you understand”, refusing to expand the list of probable chief ministerial candidates of the Congress.

As Babaria concluded the press conference and entered a room in the circuit house, a group of Congress workers entered and allegedly roughed him up. Babaria was rescued by another group of Congress workers belonging to the Scindia and Kamal Nath factions.

Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh washed his hands of the miscreants. He said, “This incident should not have happened and such people have no place in the party. Whoever they are, these persons cannot be my supporters. Strict action should be taken against them.”

Asked if factional politics continues in the state Congress, he said, “There is no factional politics. It is different regions headed by different leaders and every leader has supporters. This is not factionalism. Even the state BJP has a Uma Bharti faction, a Narottam Mishra faction, a Kailash Vijayvargiya group, a Babulal Gaur group, then come Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s faction and Narendra Singh Tomar’s faction.”

A senior state Congress office-bearer told TOI on Monday evening, “Congress president Rahul Gandhi is highly displeased with the incident and has called all big leaders to the meeting on Tuesday. However, other topics are also on the agenda for discussion including how to counter chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra, what has the Congress done in the state since May 1 and how it plans to campaign in the next three months.”

Meanwhile, state BJP took a dig with home minister Bhupendra Singh writing a letter to Babaria offering to provide security to “protect him from Congress leaders and workers.” He wrote, “We came to know from media reports that you have been manhandled by Congress workers in Rewa. Previously too, there have been such incidents. I am worried and promise you that government of Madhya Pradesh will provide adequate security for you.”

