Political 'Punch Up' In Karnataka, Meeting Ends In Brawl Between Rivals

Chaos marked a key government meeting in Karnataka's Bidar today, as two legislators from rival parties nearly came to blows in front of a state minister.

The confrontation, which unfolded inside the Zilla Panchayat Hall during a Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) meeting, involved BJP MLA Siddu Patil and Congress MLC Bhimrao Patil. The two leaders entered into a heated clash over a land encroachment row, with the argument escalating until the meeting was turned into what seemed like a battlefield.

The argument began during a discussion about the forest land in Humnabad constituency.

A video of the incident shows the two men yelling and pointing fingers at each other. The situation reached a breaking point when the Congress MLC was seen getting up from his chair, walking toward the Humnabad MLA, and raising his hand as if to strike him. He was physically restrained at the last moment by a policeman and other leaders present in the room.

The leaders allegedly traded abusive remarks throughout the encounter, forcing the District In-charge Minister, Eshwara Khandre, to adjourn the meeting indefinitely.