The Congress is pushing hard for a victory in Madhya Pradesh in the upcoming polls
The video of an on-stage banter between Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh has emerged as a big talking point in Madhya Pradesh, with the BJP calling it a sign of infighting and Congress leaders saying the video just captures a light moment between two veterans.
The video is from an event during which the Congress's Madhya Pradesh unit released its manifesto for the November 17 election. The polls in the BJP-ruled state are expected to be a close contest as the Congress pushes hard for a victory.
Kamal Nath is the state Congress president and the face of the party's Assembly poll campaign. Mr Singh, a former Chief Minister, is a Rajya Sabha MP and one of the tallest leader of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh.
In the video, Mr Nath is heard saying that when he was asked to "tear Digvijaya Singh's clothes for not fulfilling promises", he had replied that the people should do so if their concerns are not heard.
Mr Singh, who was on the stage, intervened and said the party's documents are signed by the state Congress chief. "Then whose clothes should be torn?" he asked as party leaders laughed.
Responding, Mr Nath said his relationship with Mr Singh is not political. "It is a relationship of jokes and laughs, of love. Long back, I had given him a power of attorney that he will face verbal abuses for me. That power of attorney is still valid," he said.
At this, Mr Singh responded, "But people should know who is making mistakes". "Whether it is your mistake or not, you will face abuses," Mr Nath said, amid cheers and claps from other leaders.
The state Congress chief reiterated that he and Mr Singh go back a long way. "As I said, it is not a political relationship. It is a family relationship."
Mr Singh quipped, "He is basically saying, Lord Shiva's job is to drink poison. Fine, I will drink it."
As soon as the video circulated on social media, the BJP said infighting in the Congress has come out in the open. "A contest to tear clothes within infighting-hit Congress," the BJP said in a post on X, adding that the state Congress chief and Rajya Sabha MP were fighting in the open.
Soon after, Mr Singh put out a post on X, saying he and Mr Nath go back a long way. "I have a family relationship with Kamal Nath since 1980. We have had differences on several issues. It is natural for two friends to have differences of opinion, but we have never had a difference of heart," he said, sharing a video of the banter and requesting people to watch it.