SP-BSP spat spills over to Chhattisgarh

The political battle in Uttar Pradesh between the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party spilled over to Chhattisgarh on Friday.

SP workers showed black flags to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and her party men hit back by setting afire SP state unit chief Balram Singh Yadav's house.

About three dozen SP workers, led by state youth SP President Dinesh Patil, stopped the bulletproof car of Mayawati proceeding from the airport to the city, the police said.

The SP workers waved black flags and raised anti-BSP and pro-Mulayam Singh Yadav slogans, threw black flags and x-ray negatives at the vehicle carrying Mayawati who is on a two-day visit to the state capital, they said.

However, the police intervened and steered her car out of the protestors.

Within an hour of the incident, BSP activists gathered in front of Yadav's residence at New Rajendra Nagar locality in Raipur and set his house on fire, Additional SP Raipur, Dr Lal Umed Singh said.

No one was injured in the incident as the house was locked but a brand new car and a couple of other things were gutted in the fire, Singh said.

The SP workers then demanded action against the BSP workers.

Tension mounted following the slogan-shouting by both sides and police twice used force to disperse the rival sides.