The Nagpur Youth Congress is upset with Chief Minister Narendra Modi over the violence in Gujarat. But when its ploy of misleading newspapers by planting the news of a fake protest in front of the RSS headquarters was bared on Tuesday by the RSS itself, its two factions resorted to violence against each other in the presence of All India Youth Congress chief Randeepsingh Surjewala and Minister of State for Home Manikrao Thakre.
And once again, at the centre of the drama was State minister Anees Ahmed. Ahmed had informed newspaper offices on Monday that his workers were going to burn Modi's effigy in front of the highly-protected RSS headquarters in the Mahal area of Nagpur. Accordingly, some photographers tried to trace the Youth Congress workers but returned empty handed.
Then, late at night, Ahmed called up newsrooms saying that the protest was held and that he was sending the photograph along with the news. Some unsuspecting newspapers carried the report, but, as it turned out, the story was false. The photograph had been “managed” with the help of a photographer who apparently used the superimposition technique.
Following this incident, the RSS issued a clarification on Tuesday to the effect that no such protest was held. 'The police, too, confirmed the “no protest” story. When this was brought to the notice of youth Congress chief Surjewala - on a visit to the city for a Sadbhavan a Rally - he ordered an inquiry into the episode.
Following the rally, Surjewala was
about to address a press conference when journalists complained against
the Youth Congress unit’s forgery. Angry supporters of city Youth Congress
chief Anil Machchle, an Ahmed crony, accused a senior Youth Congress leader,
Bijju Pande, of “provoking” the journalists. One of them slapped a Pande
supporter, which was followed by a free-for-all. Bijju Pande and Anees
Ahmed also began arguing with the journalists present. Later, Ahmed clarified
his position to the scribes in apologetic terms.