INC which was established in 1885 was divided into two groups mainly by extremists and moderates. The period 1885-1905 was known as periods of moderates as moderates were dominated by INC. Moderates used method of three P's for the minor developments by the British government, the three P's were mere petition , prayers and protest. Moderates were not able to achieve the goals this created the dis-satisfaction amongst the people In 1907 the INC meeting was to be held in Nagpur and the extremists wanted lala lajpat rai or balgangadhar tilak as president. But moderates wanted Dr rashbehari ghosh to be president. Gopal Krishna gokhale changed the meeting place from Nagpur to Surat fearing that if Nagpur was to be held as meeting place then tilak would become President. As Surat was hometown of tilak he could not preside the meeting. Hence it was decided that Ghosh would be president. Extremists protested in the INC meeting as tilak was not given permission even to speak by pandit madanmohan malviya extremists then reacted by throwing eggs, chappals etc and wanted the meeting to be cancelled. Moderates then held a secret meeting and decided to abdicate extremists.
Background
Moderates believed in the policy of settlement of minor issues with the government by deliberations. But the extremists believed in agitation, strikes and boycotts to force their demands. Some nationalists led by Lokmanya Tilak agitated against the moderate behaviour of congress against British rule. The split between these two sections became outward at the end of Banaras Session of congress (1905). Lokmanya Tilak and his followers held a separate conference and declared the formation of the Extremist Party. However they decided to work as a part of the Indian National Congress. Difference between moderates and extremists further widened in Calcutta Session of congress (1906) and there were attempts between them to elect one of them as the president of congress. The moderates opposed the resolutions on Swaraj, Swadeshi, Boycott of foreign goods and National Education and requested to withdraw from the policy laid down in the Calcutta session. But the extremists were not ready to do so.
In Surat Session (1907), extremists wanted Lala Lajpat Rai or Tilak as a President candidate of congress and Moderates supported Dr. Rashbihari Ghosh to be the President. But Lala Lajpat Rai stepped down and Dr. Rashbihari Ghosh became the President. The British Government immediately launched a massive attack on the extremists and Extremist newspaper were suppressed. Lokmanya Tilak, their main leader, was sent to Mandalay jail for six years