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Atal Bihari Vajpayee Memorial Library in Faridabad saw two inaugurations by rival BJP leaders Krishan Pal Gurjar and Vipul Goyal, highlighting ongoing tensions between the two
Both leaders, Krishan Pal Gurjar and Vipul Goyal, claimed that protocol was followed, but tensions remained over the event. (News18 Hindi)
The simmering rivalry between two senior BJP leaders in Haryana spilled into the open on Sunday when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Memorial Library at Town Park in Sector 12, Faridabad, was “inaugurated” twice, by two different groups of party leaders, barely hours apart.
According to party insiders, Union minister Krishan Pal Gurjar was to be the chief guest at the official inauguration. But around 12.30pm, cabinet minister and Faridabad MLA Vipul Goyal arrived at the venue along with BJP national secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Surendra Nagar and food & supplies minister Rajesh Nagar. The trio unveiled the plaque, cut the ribbon and declared the facility open.
About 2.5 hours later, Gurjar reached the same venue with three MLAs including Badkhal MLA Dhanesh Adlakha, NIT MLA Satish Fagna and Hodal MLA Jagdish Nayar, besides mayor Praveen Batra, district president Pankaj Rampal and other party workers. By then, the ribbon had reportedly been tied back and the area spruced up for a second ceremony. Gurjar, whose name figured as chief guest on the inauguration board, cut the ribbon again and posed for photographs with his supporters.
Both ceremonies came after Surendra Nagar had earlier attended the final episode of PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ at Goyal’s office in Sector 16.
Speaking to the media, Goyal maintained there was “no conflict” and that the inauguration had been conducted as per protocol. “Everyone’s names were on the board. I was not aware of any second inauguration,” he said.
Gurjar, however, said he had acted strictly in line with the official programme. “The department’s notice clearly mentioned that I would inaugurate the library. My name was on the inauguration stone and I fulfilled my responsibility at the scheduled time,” he told reporters.
Both leaders hail from Faridabad and their rivalry is not new. The two had a public spat in 2018 and tensions resurfaced ahead of the 2019 Haryana Assembly polls, when Goyal’s ticket was briefly dropped, a move that carried political repercussions within the district unit.
Sunday’s double ribbon-cutting has now become the talk of the town, with the twin ceremonies seen as a fresh show of one-upmanship.
Faridabad, India, India
December 29, 2025, 19:10 IST
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