Scuffle at Jabalpur BJP office after RS MP Sumitra Valmiki denied entry for JP Nadda's meeting

Bhopal, Aug 25 (IANS) Rajya Sabha MP Sumitra Valmiki was allegedly stopped from entering a meeting chaired by BJP national president J. P. Nadda during his visit to Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur on Monday.

A video surfaced on social media showing Sumitra Valmiki indulging in an aggressive argument with a security personnel. She was allowed to enter the meeting hall after another senior BJP leader intervened.

Valmiki's supporters, who were also seen shouting during the scuffle, alleged that the Rajya Sabha MP had been misbehaved and pushed to the back when she was trying to enter the meeting room.

"I requested security personnel to let me go inside to attend the meeting; however, they shut the door. Meanwhile, my spectacle fell on the ground, which upset my supporters present there, and a heated argument ensued," Valmiki told the media persons.

After the video of the scuffle surfaced on social media, the opposition Congress took the opportunity to criticise the ruling BJP.

"This is yet another example of the mistreatment of a woman and Dalit representatives in the BJP. These public representatives are merely a facade; they have no respect in the BJP," MP Congress reacted on social media.

The Madhya Pradesh BJP was yet to make any statement on why the Rajya Sabha MP was denied entry.

Sumitra, a Dalit leader from Jabalpur, was appointed as Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh in 2022, a few months ahead of the Assembly elections in 2023.

Notably, J. P. Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to Madhya Pradesh, chaired a meeting with BJP leaders at the party office in Jabalpur on Monday. Apart from Jabalpur divisions, BJP leaders from Rewa, Shahdol and Sagar divisions were also called for the meeting.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Dy CM Rajendra Shukla, state BJP chief Hemant Khandelwal, state general secretary (organisation) Hitanand Sharma, former MP BJP chief V. D. Sharma and several other senior party leaders attended the meeting.

"On this occasion, guidance was received regarding organisation expansion from BJP national president J. P. Nadda. Discussion was held on the party's upcoming programmes in the state," Chief Minister Mohan Yadav wrote in a post on X.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Yadav said, "Nadda ji will present gifts of medical colleges to two remote tribal districts, Sheopur and Singrauli. Additionally, in his presence, MoUs will be signed for the establishment of four new medical colleges under the PPP Model."

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Nadda will participate in a programme at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Cultural and Information Centre, where an MoU will be signed for establishing four new medical colleges in the state under the PPP model.

During the visit, Nadda will also inaugurate the medical colleges in Sheopur and Singrauli and launch new initiatives under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

--IANS

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