NSW Liberal Party president Philip Ruddock has condemned a budget-eve brawl at a Sydney branch meeting amid reports tensions flared due to a "religious war".
Police were called to Naji's Charcoal Chicken and Kebabs in Arncliffe about 7pm on Monday where they saw "numerous people running from the location" and a man in his 40s with minor injuries.
Members were heading to the takeaway shop to vote on whether a branch could join the Bayside Council section and an argument erupted when some people were denied entry.
A man calling himself John, who claimed to be a branch member, told 2GB radio on Tuesday the incident was "essentially branch stacking".
"Words erupted and it then turned into a religious war between Christians and Muslims," he said.
The cafe is owned by Liberal councillor Michael Nagi, one of three councillors representing the Mascot ward on Bayside Council, who said "the truth will come out" following the police investigation.
"This has nothing to do with religion or race," he told reporters.
Mr Ruddock wouldn't be drawn on whether religion was a factor but said the reported behaviour was "totally inappropriate" and could result in expulsions.
"We are a party that draws people with strong views, who want to be engaged in public life and want to discuss and talk about issues," he told reporters.
"We want to see that occur in a civilised way, respecting that people come with different views and different perspectives."
Mr Ruddock urged members to not be "in any way perturbed" amid reports some threatened to quit over the drama.
Andrew, also a Liberal party member, told 2GB people were standing "shoulder to shoulder" and wouldn't let anyone into the venue unless they were in favour of the branch.
"I've never seen anything like this before," he said
NSW Labor mocked the location.
"The meeting (was) not in a community hall or a church or an RSL Club, which is where political meetings usually happen," NSW deputy opposition leader Michael Daley told reporters on Tuesday.
"They've called a Liberal Party branch meeting in a small chicken shop that I am told you can't swing a cat in."
He said he believed Monday's fight was between two "distinct" religious groups within the Liberal Party both vying for control of the Bayside Council ahead of the NSW election in March.
He refused to name the religious groups but called on NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to "name and shame" those involved.
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