Bilha, Chhattisgarh:
In an embarrassment for the Congress, two senior party leaders clashed during a programme billed to motivate party workers in BJP-ruled states.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary B K Hariprasad and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi virtually engaged in a wordy duel at the function yesterday.
Trouble started when supporters of Mr Jogi, who is also heading the AICC Scheduled Tribes Department, raised slogans hailing him when Mr Hariprasad was delivering his address.
Apparently irked by the slogan shouting, Mr Hariprasad first said that Mr Jogi does not need an introduction and they know each other for the last 24 years.
However as the slogan shouting continued, Mr Hariprasad apparently lost his cool and told those shouting slogans to shun sycophancy.
As soon as Mr Hariprasad said that such type of sycophancy will not work and by slogan shouting, they cannot prove that they are close to Mr Jogi, the former Chief Minister took strong objection telling him "you deliver your speech."
A visibly angry Mr Jogi was heard muttering that Mr Hariprasad took his name while delivering the speech.