Law Kumar Mishra
In November 2000, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand were born. Other two states had smooth take off in the teething period, but Chhattisgarh started with ugly scenes, both in the Congress and BJP.
At Radheshyam Bhawan farm house, the then Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, saw his kurta torn as he faced some Physical treatment? He had gone to meet VC Shukla. Singh claimed over enthusiastic workers dealt with the Kurta.
At Ekatam Parishar in Rajbandha, BJP headquarters, enthusiastic leaders and workers clashed, set on fire two vehicles, including one of the founding members of Janasangh, Lakhiram Agarwal, office building was damaged, glass panes destroyed. The then General Secretary in-charge of BJP, Narendra Modi, who stayed in the party office, also faced the hostile mood and action of the rebels who wanted the veteran Brij Mohan Agarwal as BJP legislature party leader though In-charge favoured tribal leader Nand Kumar Sai.
Police intervened, about a dozen senior leaders were suspended for six years. The BJP disciplinary action committee headed by Kushabhau Thakre revoked their suspension before the next coming elections on the recommendation of Ravishankar Prasad, one of the three-membered Anushasan Samiti. At Bhopal, the general secretary had exercised his authority to show the doors to party veterans, Sundar Lal Patwa and Kailash Joshi at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Parishar, Habibganj during distribution of tickets (as said by Mr Patwa ji).
Raipur BJP leaders still narrate the story with spicy details of December 13, 2000 incident on the first floor of the Parishar. Local media people also recall the “juicy” events as BJP office was in the Press complex.
