Rae Bareli witnessed a dramatic confrontation during a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting as Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Minister Dinesh Pratap Singh engaged in a sharp exchange. The video of the altercation has since gone viral on social media, sparking political discussions across the state.

The incident took place at the Collectorate auditorium, where Rahul Gandhi, as chairman of the committee, asserted that all discussions should be conducted under his supervision.

Dinesh Pratap Singh countered strongly, remarking that since Gandhi does not follow the Speaker’s directives in Parliament, he was not obliged to follow Gandhi’s instructions in the meeting either. This comment triggered a heated back-and-forth between the two leaders, momentarily halting the proceedings.

The tension between the two leaders had already been evident a day earlier when Singh and his supporters staged a protest during Gandhi’s visit to Rae Bareli, demanding an apology from the Congress MP over derogatory remarks allegedly made about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother in Bihar. Singh insisted that Gandhi must condemn the remarks publicly and take disciplinary action against the party workers responsible.

The DISHA meeting was attended by Amethi MP KL Sharma and several local representatives, though Unchahar MLA Manoj Kumar Pandey was notably absent.

Speaking to the media later, Singh accused Gandhi of attempting to conduct the meeting outside the prescribed DISHA guidelines. “We do not need to accept wrong statements. He comes with a team and a three-page draft as if he owns the platform,” Singh said.

Interestingly, the heated atmosphere briefly lightened during the tea break, when Rahul Gandhi offered Singh an extra cup of tea and biscuits after Singh jokingly referred to DISHA guidelines on refreshments.

Dinesh Pratap Singh, once a Congress member, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2018 and has since contested against the Gandhi family from Rae Bareli twice but lost on both occasions. This latest exchange is likely to deepen the political rivalry ahead of upcoming elections.