By PTI
CHENNAI: The West Bengal Assembly witnessed bedlam on Monday marked by exchange of fisticuffs between TMC and BJP MLAs over the Birbhum killings, but this was not the first instance of acrimony in a House of elected representatives in the country.
Following are the other well-known episodes of fracas involving the Treasury and Opposition benches in different states.
Tamil Nadu, 1989: The House witnessed unruly scenes when the DMK was in the ruling saddle.
The then Leader of Opposition, late J Jayalalithaa was allegedly attacked and humiliated by ruling party members during a debate, and her leaving the House with disheveled hair amid a security ring by party MLAs remains a stark picture in TN politics.
Jayalalithaa vowed to return to the Assembly as Chief Minister and did so two years later.
Tamil Nadu, 2017: During the trust vote of the K Palaniswami-led AIADMK government, pandemonium broke out inside the House and some opposition members even climbed atop the Speaker’s podium and sat on the chair, while the opposition DMK members were evicted physically.
Then LoP and DMK chief M K Stalin and Speaker P Dhanapal said their shirts were torn in the melee.
Maharashtra, 2009: Four MLAs of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were suspended for four years for attacking Samajwadi Party member Abu Azmi for taking his oath as a legislator in Hindi.
As the new MLAs were being sworn in, MLAs of the Raj Thackeray-led party pounced on Azmi, who was pushed and slapped until security guards were able to rescue him and escort him out of the House.
Thackeray had earlier appealed to MLAs to take their oath in Marathi, a veiled warning aimed at Azmi, who repeatedly asked for Hindi to be added to the language of the legislature.
Parliament, 2021: Rajya Sabha witnessed ugly scenes as some MPs tore papers, jostled with the marshals and attempted to go near the presiding officer’s chair and some marshals were allegedly attacked, even as the House was adjourned sine die two days ahead of its scheduled end of the monsoon session in August.
Twelve opposition MPs were subsequently suspended in connection with the incident.
Kerala, 2015: The assembly had witnessed unprecedented scenes on March 13 as then opposition LDF members tried to prevent Finance Minister K M Mani, who was facing charges in the bar bribery scam, from presenting the state budget.
The speaker’s chair was flung from the podium while electronic equipment like computers, keyboards and mikes on the desk of the presiding officer were also allegedly damaged.
Uttar Pradesh, 2017: Governor Ram Naik was pelted with paper balls by the opposition during an address, the House witnessed slogan-shouting and trooping into the well by opposition members, even as an SP member blew a whistle through the 35-minute address to ensure that the governor’s voice was drowned out.
Jammu and Kashmir, 2019: House witnessed noisy scenes during a discussion on the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST), with opposition members rushing towards the chair, prompting adjournments.
Accusing Trinamool Congress MLAs of “violently assaulting” its legislators in the West Bengal Assembly on Monday, the BJP asserted that the Centre cannot remain a “mute spectator” to the state government “flouting” constitutional norms.
Expressing concern over the state of affairs in West Bengal, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters at Parliament House Complex that criminal and anarchic elements have “hijacked” the constitutional machinery in the state.
Ruling TMC and opposition BJP MLAs came to blows in the Assembly as chaos erupted after the latter demanded a statement from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the state.
Naqvi alleged that democratic normals are being “murdered” in Bengal under the patronage of the state government and Banerjee.
BJP MLAs were physically attacked and their clothes torn in the Assembly, he alleged.
People had given Banerjee the mandate in the 2021 polls to make amends for her government’s mistakes but she has again let loose a reign of violence and anarchy, he said.
To a question if the Centre could impose President’s rule in the state, Naqvi said the government will not compete with Banerjee in flouting constitutional values but will not remain a “mute spectator” either.
Locket Chatterjee, a BJP MP from the state, also hit out at Banerjee.
She said five BJP MLAs were assaulted on the “directions” of the chief minister but the state government wants to throttle the opposition’s voice against the killing of eight people in Birbhum.
Other BJP leaders also attacked the TMC.
BJP general secretary C T Ravi tweeted, “BJP MLAs were violently assaulted by unruly TMC MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly.
Mistake of Our MLAs? They asked for a discussion on the Birbhum massacre which was executed by TMC Goons.
What is Mamata Benerjee trying to hide from the people? Does T in TMC stand for Taliban?” Unidentified people had on March 21 set ablaze 10 houses in Birbhum, killing at least eight people, including women and children.
BJP chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni alleged that murders and anarchy have again started under Banerjee’s rule in the state, and the TMC government violently attacks BJP MLAs instead of discussing the “Birbhum massacre”.
“The TMC government, murderer of democracy, should be ashamed,” he said.
Around 25 BJP MLAs led by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari walked out of the West Bengal Assembly, claiming that several party legislators were roughed up by TMC MLAs inside the House.
Five BJP MLAs, including Adhikari, were later suspended by Assembly Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay for the entire year for their alleged unruly conduct in the House.