Two Cong factions clash in Barabanki, 12 hurt

Two factions of the Congress today clashed during a party meeting here, resulting in minor injuries to at least 12 of them.

The meeting organised to discuss reorganisation of the Congress unit and preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections was attended by AICC secretary Prakash Joshi, party sources said.

Trouble began after members belonging to factions led by Union minister Beni Prasad Verma and Barabanki Congress MP P L Punia started passing comments at each other.

Soon Congress members started throwing chairs at each other and indulged in brick-batting, injuring at least 12 people from both sides.

The meeting was organised at a marriage hall in the Lakhpeda Bagh area belonging to Mohammad Shaba, a loyalist of Verma, party sources said.