Nitesh Rane, suspended Congress leader Narayan Rane's the 26-year-old son, on Wednesday quit as general secretary of the Mumbai Youth Congress, saying he was disillusioned" with the leadership.
"My father has said he was disillusioned with Sonia Gandhi's leadership. Likewise, youngsters are disillusioned with Rahul Gandhi's leadership," Nitesh told reporters while announcing his decision to quit the post.
"Injustice has been done to my father by Congress leadership," Nitesh said, describing Congress leaders as "impotent".
Soon after Nitesh addressed the press conference, just a stone's throw away from Mumbai Regional Congress Committee office, where Chief Minister Ashok Chavan was scheduled to meet the party functionaries in the evening, his supporters and Congress workers, mostly supporters of MLA Bhai Jagtap, clashed.
As the scuffle turned violent with Nitesh's supporters allegedly tearing off banners and hoarding with photographs of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, police used force, caning Nitesh's men, to disperse them.
Meanwhile, Jagtap played down the incident, saying, "The whole incident shows the mentality of those who do not believe in democracy."
MPCC chief Manikrao Thakre also condemned the violence outside MRCC office.
"Such violence has no place in a party like Congress," Thakre, who has been the target of senior Rane in the last few days for allegedly siding with Vilasrao Deshmukh to keep Rane away from chief ministerial chair, said.