Seating squabble goes viral: Govt officers clash on stage during Nitin Gadkari's Nagpur event

A minor yet attention-grabbing incident unfolded during a government event in Nagpur, which was attended by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

As the event progressed, two senior women officers of the Postal Department found themselves in a heated disagreement over seating arrangements on the stage. The altercation, captured on video, has since gone viral on social media platforms.

The incident occurred while Gadkari was addressing the audience during the Nagpur employment fair. The two officers, seated on a sofa intended for one person, began pushing each other and demanding more space. Their disagreement escalated into a scuffle.

Sources indicate that the seating confusion stemmed from administrative oversights. One of the officers, Shobha Madhale, who had been serving as postmaster general of Nagpur region, was recently transferred to Karnataka. Following her transfer, the postmaster general of Navi Mumbai, Suchita Joshi, was given additional charge of the Nagpur division. However, the former Nagpur officer challenged her transfer in court and obtained a stay order, leading to cold war and the subsequent confusion over who officially holds the post.

In the video, Madhale can be seen pushing Joshi's elbow, causing water to spill. In a childish display, she even pinched her arm, further escalating the confrontation.

While some viewers found the incident amusing, others expressed concern over the professionalism displayed by government officials in such public settings.

“Pran jaye par kursi na jaye,” one user commented. “Ethanol and petrol fighting for their place in car engine”, “Naam hai Shobha. Irony,” wrote others on social media platform X.