Activists of the MRCC burnt an effigy of Pawar in the premises. Led by arch Sonia follower and Pawar-baiter Murli Deora, the MRCC was understandably agitated at the stand taken by Pawar.

No sooner did the embers die down than Pawar supporters got wind of it. The more militant among them, Jitendra Awhad, led a group of street-fighters to the MRCC premises to give ``a suitable response.'' Slogans of ``Sharad Pawar Zindabad'' and ``Murli Deora Hai Hai'' rent the air. Down came the signboard with Deora's name that adorned the entrance of the MRCC office. Hit to the ground and stamped upon with a vengeance, it was mutilated in no time.

Then came the climax: Awhad's boys got rough with MRCC office-bearers for what they termed a humiliating deed by Congressmen. Generalsecretary Virendra Baxi was mandhandled and took a few fists on his face. Former corporator Kala Tiwari, who went to his rescue, got beaten and, worse, kicked on her abdomen. It threatened to snowball into a major battle when other MRCC office-bearers managed to separate the fighters. Just about.

Typically, a posse of policemen walked in just as the Pawar group had decided it was enough and their message had hit home. Baxi tried to make small matter of it: ``It was just some shor-sharaba...it happens.'' Later, Pawar too brushed it aside as ``a small thing.''

However, Deora was not amused at all. Stationed in Delhi, he lambasted his office-bearers, including Baxi, for ``doing such silly things.'' He apparently told them it was unnecessary to burn the effigy and invite trouble -- in more ways than one. At best of times, the Congress has hardly been a solid entity in Maharashtra. When the chips are down, everyone is out to fight his little battle, it seems.