Scuffle at Rahul Gandhi’s road show in Bareilly

Bareilly, Sep 28 (IANS) A scuffle broke out between Congress workers and SPG personnel guarding Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi here on Wednesday as party activists tried to get close to garland him but were stopped.

Eventually, Gandhi intervened to cool tempers on both sides.

As Gandhi was here on the 19th day of his ongoing 2,500-km 'Kisan Yatra' through Uttar Pradesh, local Congress leader Amjad Saleem tried to come close to Gandhi with a garland but SPG personnel around the Congress vice president prevented him.

Saleem and his supporters protested and an argument broke out. As both sides even came to blows, Gandhi stepped in to pacify Saleem and asked the SPG personnel to retreat.

Security has been heightened around Gandhi after a shoe was hurled at him on Monday during the road show in Sitapur. SPG men are keeping a close watch on people trying to get close to the Congress Vice President and the number of those around him has also been increased.

Gandhi earlier started his trip in Bareilly by paying obeisance at the Dhopeshwar Nath temple after which he addressed a meeting at the Ruhelkhand university gate.

The scuffle disrupted the programme a bit, and Gandhi left for Rampur where he was slated to address a 'khaat sabha'.