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Rahul Gandhi, UP Minister Spar At Raebareli Meet: Watch
ABP Live News | September 14, 2025 11:11 AM CST

A video from Raebareli has set off a storm, showing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh minister Dinesh Pratap Singh in a tense verbal duel during a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting.

The confrontation erupted during Gandhi’s two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency on September 10 and 11. Presiding over the quarterly review, Gandhi reportedly told participants to seek his approval before speaking, a remark that drew sharp resistance from Singh, a former Congress member now with the BJP.

Singh shot back that if Gandhi did not always respect the Speaker’s rulings in the Lok Sabha, there was no reason for him to follow such instructions at the meeting.

Protocols In DISHA Meeting

Officials present said Gandhi reminded members of the meeting’s rules, noting that speakers should seek the chair’s permission before raising issues, just as, in Parliament, questions must go through the Lok Sabha Speaker.

“A minister should know parliamentary etiquette,” another participant, Mr. Sharma, remarked, urging the Chief Minister to take note of such behaviour. “What message does it send about Cabinet discipline?” Meanwhile, a separate row brewed online after a photograph surfaced of Gandhi shaking hands with Singh’s son, a local block chief. Singh later alleged that Congress workers circulated the image to mock him.

“My son should not have merely shaken hands but touched Rahul Gandhi’s feet as a mark of respect, since he is my age,” Singh said, adding that while he stood to greet Gandhi at the meeting, “he did not shake hands with me.”

Singh Explains His Stand

Speaking later, Singh said his objections were rooted in procedure. “In the DISHA meeting, the MP is the chair for that constituency. According to the Rural Development Department’s guidelines, he is responsible for supervising the implementation of 43 schemes. When Rahul Gandhi comes, he behaves like an owner, that was unacceptable to me,” Singh told reporters.

He clarified that he supports Gandhi when he works for the people of Raebareli but resists when the forum is used for political attacks. “I was expecting him to focus on the DISHA meeting agenda. That is why I opposed him,” Singh added.

The minister also pointed out that the chairperson’s powers are limited. “The role is to ensure that the funds for these 43 programmes are used properly. Gandhi neither studies the guidelines of the meeting nor ensures his party does. The proceedings went beyond the scope of the meeting, which I opposed,” he said.

DISHA meetings, held every quarter, bring together the District Magistrate, MLAs, and other officials to assess progress on local development projects.

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