In a fresh controversy within the BJP, supporters of chief minister Nayab Singh Saini and cabinet minister Anil Vij had a brief face-off at Ambala Cantonment railway station when both groups resorted to sloganeering on Friday.
Event Context
His statements were, however, downplayed by Saini. Ahead of the 2024 assembly polls, he even talked about his desire to be declared CM upon poll victory.
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While Vij was not available for a comment, people close to him, who were present at the station, termed this an insult to the senior-most MLA of the party. The Vij camp has been reportedly upset over delays in completion of development projects in his constituency. A supporter said he had received videos showing the district president provoking his workers to shout loudly and continuously.
When contacted, Rana downplayed the incident, saying, “Yes, this happened in my presence. The workers were excited and were raising slogans. The CM is the tallest leader of the state. Vij too is our respected leader. We are united.”
When asked why he didn’t stop the workers, he said, “All this happened just for a minute or two, that too out of excitement for the ocassion. I even took workers out of the station premises to avoid indiscipline.”
Team Analysis
In February last year, Vij was served a notice by the party’s state unit for speaking against CM Saini and the then state BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli.
The outspoken minister targeted CM Saini saying that the latter remained airborne most of the time, thus paying no attention to people’s sufferings. Vij also accused the CM of plotting for his defeat in the 2024 assembly polls. Regarding Badoli, Vij had suggested that he step down till he is cleared of allegations of rape lodged by a woman in Himachal Pradesh.
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Both groups gathered at the station to welcome Sant Ravidas Express, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Jalandhar Cantt to Varanasi via Ambala. Vij was the chief guest for the event organised by the ministry of railways in the presence of Rajya Sabha MP Kartikeya Sharma, BJP district president Mandeep Rana and mayor Akshita Saini among others.
In a nearly two-minute viral video, Vij’s supporters are seen raising slogans — “Bhai Anil Vij zindabad”, “Haryana ka babbar sher zindabad” — after the train was flagged off. The minister seems to have objected once.
The video shows another group raising slogans — “Nayab Saini Zindabad” and “Haryana ka Mukhyamantri Zindabad”. They were joined by Rana and others. Later, as the Rana group reached near them, both hooted and cheered loudly, alerting the cops for a possible face-off.
