The Hindu : BSP, SP members clash in LS

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 11, 2003

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BSP, SP members clash in LS

By Our New Delhi Bureau

NEW DELHI MARCH 10. The simmering tension between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) today boiled over in the Lok Sabha, with MPs from both sides almost coming to blows. The incident occurred during zero hour, and the Speaker, Manohar Joshi, adjourned the House for lunch ahead of schedule.

The ugly scenes erupted when the BSP MP, Ashok Chandel, raised slogans, calling the SP chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav, a "chor" (thief), which was objected to by Mr. Yadav's son, Akhilesh Yadav. No sooner had Mr. Chandel completed his remarks that Akhilesh Yadav rolled up his sleeves and rushed towards him pushing him in the process. Mr. Yadav was not present at the time. Soon, MPs from both the sides moved menacingly towards one another. Akhilesh Singh and Ramjilal Suman of the SP, too, joined the fray and the situation appeared to be taking an ugly turn. The former Prime Minister, Chandrashekhar, the CPI (M) leader, Somnath Chatterjee, and Priyaranjan Dasmunshi (Cong.) moved swiftly to separate the members.

Heated exchanges continued for a while and the Speaker's appeal for calm fell on deaf ears. Minutes later, he adjourned the House .The members continued to argue even after the House had adjourned and it was only after a prolonged meeting at the Speaker's chamber that the two sides relented.

At his press conference, called to announce the joining of the Indian Ekta Party led by the former Minister, Rashid Masood, Mr. Yadav said the Mayawati tape was filmed during a BSP meeting and could have been shot only by BSP members. His party had not indulged in such practices and neither intended to do so, he added.

On the Women's Reservation Bill, Mr. Yadav said the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, had spoken to him and efforts were on the arrive at a consensus. "Something will emerge on the Bill," he said.

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