It happens during meetings, Congress MP Imran Masood said, downplaying his heated exchange during a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh with Samajwadi Party MLA Ashu Malik.
The verbal sparring reportedly erupted after Masood, who was chairing the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee meeting in Saharanpur, objected to interruptions and insisted that speakers follow the proceedings of the meeting.
“Arey yaar, aap beech main interfere mat karo. Aap chair se anumati lekar poocho (Hey, don’t interrupt. Please ask for permission from the Chair before speaking),” Masood is heard saying on video.
“Jab Sawal mera hai toh woh kyun bol rahe hain (When the question is mine, why are they speaking?)” Samajawadi Party MLA shot back.
At this point, the Congress MP stressed that the meeting will run according to rules.
“Niyam se nahi chal rahi hai (It is not operating according to the rules),” the MLA said contesting the Congress leader’s statement.
Later, in a clarification, the Congress MP said it was nothing.
“No, this happens during meetings. Everyone is an elected representative, and everyone has their own issues. And since I was chairing the meeting, it was my responsibility to give everyone an opportunity to speak. Apart from this, there is nothing else,” he said.
Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh: On the viral video showing a heated exchange between Ashu Malik and him, Congress MP Imran Masood says, “No, this happens during meetings. Everyone is an elected representative, and everyone has their own issues. And since I was chairing the meeting, it… pic.twitter.com/YPgzpGUXxt
— IANS (@ians_india) August 19, 2026
Samajwadi Party MLA Ashu Malik, too, downplayed the row, calling it “routine”.
“…Public representatives often wish to voice their views, and this is a routine matter. Regarding proceedings in the House or a meeting, such instances are common, and one should not turn it into a controversy. We simply stated the correct way the meeting should be conducted, and it proceeded accordingly; I do not think it is appropriate to blow the matter out of proportion or create a dispute over it,” the Samajwadi Party MLA said.
#WATCH | Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh | On the viral video of his exchange with Congress MP Imran Masood, SP MLA Ashu Malik says, “…Public representatives often wish to voice their views, and this is a routine matter. Regarding proceedings in the House or a meeting, such instances… pic.twitter.com/pq0MT5aaqK
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) August 19, 2026
The BJP though is not buying the explanation and used it to target the two INDIA bloc partners.
Sharing the video, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, “Rahul Gandhi – Akhilesh Yadav’s party fighting among each other! SP-CONGRESS ALLIANCE TURNS INTO A FULL-BLOWN FIGHT! This is the state of ‘Mahagathbandhan’.”
He further posted an exchange from the video in which an SP MLA was heard saying, “Hey you… We haven’t come here to eat pakoras!” to which Masood replied, “Who’s feeding you pakoras here?”
Bhandari described the exchange as “Pakoras vs taunts” and used it to target the Opposition’s prospects in Uttar Pradesh.
“Those who are busy fighting among each other can never win the trust of the people of Uttar Pradesh,” he said, adding that the state would “yet again reject this SP Congress Opposition”.
The embarrassing development comes at a time when the Congress and Samajwadi Party are preparing for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and seeking to maintain coordination against the BJP.
The Congress has been pushing for early seat-sharing discussions with the Akhilesh Yadav-led party. The latest confrontation has added to questions over the ability of the two parties to maintain unity at the state level.
The SP and Congress formed an alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, with the Opposition alliance performing strongly in the state.
The SP won 37 seats and the Congress six, giving the alliance a significant presence in the country’s most politically important state.
Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP is aiming for a hat-trick of wins, goes to polls early next year.
