Scindia shows his strength during visit to PCC office

Former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday turned his visit to the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) office in the state capital into a show of strength with his supporters mobbing him and causing a melee. He was coming to the party office after seven months.

A door of the second-floor meeting hall in the PCC office came off during the melee, with the crowd turning unruly as party workers showered flowers on Scindia. The show seemed to be a pre-determined plan to show Scindia's rivals in the party that he cannot be ignored, as there have been several bitter-sweet exchanges with leaders of other factions in the state unit of the party who have sought to marginalise him.

MLA from Gwalior East, Munnalal Goyal, an avowed supporter of Scindia, caused a flutter by boycotting the special session of the state Assembly to ratify the 126th Constitutional Amendment over the issue of the demolition of some houses and denial of lease deeds to the landless poor in his constituency. These persons were offered land, but their papers have been held back.

He said the bureaucrats are undoing the efforts of the Chief Minister and creating rift between the MLAs and the people.

Goyal has written a letter to the Chief Minister and threatened to stage a sit-in near the Gandhi statue on the Assembly campus from Saturday.

The Scindia supporters kept clamouring for according him more dignified treatment.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday skipped a dinner hosted by Scindia confidant Govind Rajput. On Friday, however, Kamal Nath's supporter hosted tea for Scindia.

Activity by Scindia supporters have increased at a time when his name is doing the rounds as a candidate both for the post of PCC chief and a seat in the Rajya Sabha.

( With inputs from IANS )