IAC supporters, Congmen clash at Scindia's press meet

Supporters of India Against Corruption and Congress workers were involved in a scuffle at Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia's press conference in Patna on Tuesday.

Trouble broke out when IAC supporter Archana Sharma was pushed out of the conference hall, where the press conference was being held, by Congress workers while she was trying to ask a question to Scindia, the Union Minister of State for Industries and Commerce.

The Congressmen asked her whether she was a journalist and when she refused to divulge her identity they allegedly pushed her out of the hall branding her as an RSS agent.

While being pushed out, Sharma shouted 'Bharat mata ki jay'. She again raised slogan 'Anna Hazare zindabad, Bharat Mata ki jay' after coming out of the hall.

Angered by the act of Congress activists, IAC supporters raised slogans against the UPA government for arresting cartoonist Aseem Trivedi and also sought resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on coal blocks allotment.

Infuriated by the slogan shouting, Congress workers then tried to physically remove the protesters from the courtyard of the venue and in the process some anti-corruption protestors had their clothes torn.

Scindia, whose appeal to the Congress workers to allow Sharma to ask her question went in vain, later met the lady outside and heard her demands patiently.

She urged the minister to intervene in the release of the cartoonist, but the latter excused himself by saying that the matter was sub-judice.

Scindia also scolded Congress workers for misbehaving with IAC supporters.