Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress almost came to blows in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday afternoon, forcing two quick adjournments in the post-noon session without any business being transacted.
The issue remains unsettled as Trinamool MPs protested against a statement of Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prakash Javadekar blaming them for the altercation.
Matters came to a head when Hari Narayan Rajbhar (BJP) got agitated over the continued slogan-shouting by Trinamool MPs in the well of the House. Even as other BJP members tried to restrain him, an angry Mr. Rajbhar could be seen trying to head towards the Trinamool members, who too were in a mood to retaliate. The protests echoed the ongoing fight for political space between the two parties in West Bengal.
Senior leaders from various parties moved in before things could go out of control. Though the Chair hurriedly adjourned the House for an hour, another altercation broke out while the members were leaving despite senior BJP members, including Union Minister Kalraj Mishra, restraining Mr. Rajbhar.
The agitated Trinamool members ran out of the House and staged a protest at the Gandhi statue outside the main building.
When the House met an hour later, Trinamool member Saugata Roy said that while his party’s MPs were agitating against the Railway Budget, “One MP — I am told his name is Hari Narayan Rajbhar — came up as if to hit people; he used filthy language against our leader, he threatened our lady members that he would beat them up.”
