A 'Unity March' organised by the BJP in Bilaspur on Tuesday to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's Iron Man, briefly turned contentious after a heated argument broke out between Beltara MLA Sushant Shukla and BJP State Organisation Minister Harshita Pandey, in the presence of Union Minister of State Tokhan Sahu.
The altercation, which reportedly began over who would walk in the front row of the march, was caught on camera and has since gone viral on social media.
According to witnesses, Harshita Pandey was walking next to Union Minister Tokhan Sahu, leading the march with the national flag in hand.
MLA Sushant Shukla, who initially found himself walking in the second row, later moved forward to walk beside the Union Minister. This reportedly angered Harshita Pandey, leading to a verbal spat between the two leaders.
In the video, both Shukla and Pandey are seen gesturing and pointing fingers while exchanging words. Union Minister Tokhan Sahu can be seen attempting to calm the situation, but the argument continues for several moments until senior BJP leader Dharamlal Kaushik intervenes and restores order.
यूनिटी मार्च में ही यूनिटी नहीं दिखा पा रही भाजपा!
— INC Chhattisgarh (@INCChhattisgarh) November 11, 2025
बिलासपुर के 'यूनिटी मार्च' में भाजपा के अपने ही नेताओं के बीच सार्वजनिक तकरार देखने को मिली।
विधायक सुशांत शुक्ला और प्रदेश मंत्री हर्षिता पांडे के बीच केंद्रीय मंत्री तोखन साहू के साथ फर्स्ट लाइन में चलने को लेकर विवाद हुआ। pic.twitter.com/kq9rtxna0m
Amid the commotion, another clip shows a BJP worker grabbing Harshita Pandey's arm and whispering something into her ear, drawing sharp reactions online.
The video from the march showing the altercation between the two leaders during what was meant to be a show of unity has gone viral on social media, sparking commentary from both supporters and opposition leaders.
Congress spokesperson Abhay Narayan Rai took a swipe at the ruling party, saying, "On one hand, they are organising a unity march, but their own unity is falling apart. Instead of following the path of Sardar Patel, they are pursuing a campaign of discord and one-upmanship. The BJP should first hold a unity march for itself before talking about unity for the nation."
BJP spokesperson Pranav Sharma, however, dismissed the controversy, saying, "Nothing like this has happened. This is being made into an unnecessary issue. The march is moving in the right direction and taking everyone along. It is not appropriate to sensationalise this."
The 'Unity March' was organised across several cities in Chhattisgarh as part of nationwide celebrations marking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 150th birth anniversary.
In Bilaspur, the march included school and college students, youth volunteers, and senior BJP leaders, who carried the national flag and raised slogans promoting unity and integrity.
Despite the brief confrontation, party organisers said the march continued peacefully thereafter.
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