Flying Kicks, Punches Over Samosas at PM Modi’s Lucknow Event, Shocking Video Surfaces

Lucknow

oi-Ashish Rana

Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi’s
visit
to
Lucknow
to
commemorate
former
Prime
Minister
Atal
Bihari
Vajpayee
took
an
unexpected
turn
on
social
media
after
videos
from
the
event
showed
both
a
physical
scuffle
among
attendees
and
the
removal
of
decorative
flower
pots
from
public
roads.

The
Prime
Minister
was
in
the
Uttar
Pradesh
capital
on
December
25
to
mark
Vajpayee’s
101st
birth
anniversary,
inaugurate
a
national
memorial,
and
address
a
large
public
gathering.
While
the
focus
of
the
programme
was
meant
to
be
on
the
tribute,
visuals
from
the
venue
and
nearby
areas
soon
began
circulating
online,
drawing
widespread
attention.

Scuffle
breaks
out
amid
crowd
during
event

One
of
the
videos,
which
surfaced
hours
after
the
programme,
shows
a
brief
but
intense
altercation
in
the
crowd
area.
According
to
claims
shared
alongside
the
footage,
the
argument
reportedly
began
over
the
distribution
of
refreshments,
with
samosas
allegedly
not
reaching
some
attendees.

In
the
clip,
three
men
are
seen
confronting
another
individual
before
the
situation
turns
violent.
The
man
falls
over
a
row
of
chairs
as
he
is
slapped,
punched
and
kicked
repeatedly.
Narendra
Modi
can
be
heard
speaking
in
the
background
while
the
scuffle
unfolds,
suggesting
the
incident
occurred
during
the
live
event.
The
clash
appears
to
subside
moments
later
as
people
nearby
intervene
and
the
crowd
settles.

Viral
post
adds
sharp
commentary

The
video
was
shared
widely
on
X,
formerly
Twitter,
with
a
caption
that
read,
“One
Nation
One
Samosa.
Just
watched
this
Chaotic
Video
from
a
Modi
event
in
Lucknow
–
ardent
supporters
throwing
punches
allegedly
over
samosas!” The
post
quickly
gained
traction,
with
many
users
expressing
shock
over
the
visuals
and
questioning
crowd
management
at
large
political
gatherings.

While
there
has
been
no
official
confirmation
on
what
triggered
the
altercation,
the
footage
has
fuelled
debate
online
about
arrangements
made
for
such
high-profile
public
events.

Separate
clip
shows
flower
pots
being
taken

Adding
to
the
online
discussion,
another
video
from
Lucknow
emerged
later
the
same
day.
Shot
after
the
Prime
Minister
had
left
the
city,
the
footage
shows
people
stopping
along
roads
used
for
the
event
and
picking
up
decorative
flower
pots
placed
as
part
of
the
beautification
exercise.

The
clip
shows
individuals
casually
lifting
the
pots
and
carrying
them
away,
further
intensifying
conversations
on
social
media.
Many
users
linked
the
two
incidents,
arguing
that
both
reflected
poorly
on
civic
behaviour
during
major
public
programmes.

Focus
shifts
from
tribute
to
crowd
conduct

Although
the
visit
was
meant
to
honour
Atal
Bihari
Vajpayee’s
legacy
and
ideals,
the
viral
videos
shifted
public
attention
away
from
the
memorial
and
speech
to
the
conduct
of
a
section
of
the
crowd.
Together,
the
clips
sparked
a
wider
debate
on
event
management,
public
responsibility
and
the
challenges
of
handling
massive
gatherings
during
political
functions.