Lower House sinks to an all-time low
RJD-JD(U) Spat Descends To Abuses, Blows
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: At around 1 pm on Thursday, a fine line was crossed in Lok Sabha. Angry and abusive exchanges between JD(U) and RJD MPs led to scuffling and a near exchange of blows. The acrimonious proceedings peaked with RJD’s Anirudh ‘Sadhu’ Yadav rushing at JD(U)’s Prabhunath Singh and the two MPs grappling with each other.
The drama, which lasted about 15 minutes, was triggered when RJD brought up an incident of rape in Bihar. While ‘defending’ the JD(U)-BJP government, Prabhunath Singh said one of the accused had claimed to be a relative of RJD boss Lalu Prasad.
The JD(U) MP quickly added that this may not be the case, but his intention, clearly, was to provoke. He succeeded in spectacular fashion as RJD members immediately raised Cain. In the midst of bedlam, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee adjourned the House till 2 pm.
By then, tempers were out of hand. Lalu rose and accused Prabhunath of being a ‘‘goonda’’. In a tit-for-tat exchange, he countered the JD(U) MP’s accusation by alleging that the person arrested for the crime was Prabhunath Singh’s “behnoi”. Members rushed to the well, shouting, jostling and insulting one another.
As MPs milled around, Sadhu Yadav, who is Lalu’s brother-in-law, rose from his seat at the rear of the treasury bench and crossed to the front of the opposition bench where Prabhunath was seated. Fist raised, Sadhu was set to engage Prabhunath, who also put up his hands.
That was when BJP’s Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh leapt from his seat to land between the two. Prabhunath was held back by Brij Bhushan while four to five MPs, including RPI’s Ramdas Athawale and parliamentary affairs minister P R Dasmunsi, threw themselves at Sadhu in an bid to salvage the situation.
Rivalry cause of House fracas
New Delhi: The flash-point in Lok Sabha between JD(U) and RJD MPs was born of a deep simmering rivalry between the two sides. Even though he offered an apology — while inserting the caveat that provocative acts could not be disregarded — Lalu told TV interviewers that his party’s decision to raise an issue of dalit atrocity had invoked the backlash.
The RJD leader pointed to JD(U)’s Prabhunath Singh’s criminal record of 40-odd cases and argued that the MP had been involved in violence against lower and backward castes. Through Thursday evening, the Lok Sabha fracas was being played out in TV studios with Rajiv Ranjan “Lallan” Singh batting for JD(U) and Ramkripal Singh taking cudgels for RJD.
The nature of the issue also saw a realignment in terms of Bihar political groups with Lok Janshakti Party headed by Lalu’s bitter critic and steel minister Ram vilas Paswan backing RJD.
While Sadhu has a “wild” reputation, the JD(U) leadership wouldn’t be too pleased over Prabhunath allowing Lalu to allege that it was covering up a anti-Dalit crime. In Lok Sabha, once Prabhunath and Sadhu were separated, the commotion continued for five to seven minutes with over 30 MPs in the well. This was when RJD’s Rabinder Kumar Rana got into an argument with BJP’s M A Kharbela Swain. An agitated Rana threw a sound box lying on the parliamentary reporters’ table at Swain, missing him by a few inches.
Another attempt was made to calm down MPs even as an incensed Lalu took on Prabhunath. Sensing the tense turn of events, Lok Sabha secretary PDT Achary asked for marshals. It took all of Dasmunsi’s persuasive skills to get some order restored after which he held consultations with BJP leader V K Malhotra and Lalu.
BLOW BY BLOW
It began with Prabhunath Singh alleging criminals behind a recent rape were Lalu’s men. Enraged, Lalu’s brother-in-law Sadhu charged at Prabhunath
As an incensed Lalu shouted at Prabhunath, RJD, JD(U), BJP and Congress MPs milled in confusion
Meanwhile, RJD’s R K Rana hurled a sound box at BJP’s Kharbela Swain, but missed the MP
TOI
RJD-JD(U) Spat Descends To Abuses, Blows
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: At around 1 pm on Thursday, a fine line was crossed in Lok Sabha. Angry and abusive exchanges between JD(U) and RJD MPs led to scuffling and a near exchange of blows. The acrimonious proceedings peaked with RJD’s Anirudh ‘Sadhu’ Yadav rushing at JD(U)’s Prabhunath Singh and the two MPs grappling with each other.
The drama, which lasted about 15 minutes, was triggered when RJD brought up an incident of rape in Bihar. While ‘defending’ the JD(U)-BJP government, Prabhunath Singh said one of the accused had claimed to be a relative of RJD boss Lalu Prasad.
The JD(U) MP quickly added that this may not be the case, but his intention, clearly, was to provoke. He succeeded in spectacular fashion as RJD members immediately raised Cain. In the midst of bedlam, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee adjourned the House till 2 pm.
By then, tempers were out of hand. Lalu rose and accused Prabhunath of being a ‘‘goonda’’. In a tit-for-tat exchange, he countered the JD(U) MP’s accusation by alleging that the person arrested for the crime was Prabhunath Singh’s “behnoi”. Members rushed to the well, shouting, jostling and insulting one another.
As MPs milled around, Sadhu Yadav, who is Lalu’s brother-in-law, rose from his seat at the rear of the treasury bench and crossed to the front of the opposition bench where Prabhunath was seated. Fist raised, Sadhu was set to engage Prabhunath, who also put up his hands.
That was when BJP’s Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh leapt from his seat to land between the two. Prabhunath was held back by Brij Bhushan while four to five MPs, including RPI’s Ramdas Athawale and parliamentary affairs minister P R Dasmunsi, threw themselves at Sadhu in an bid to salvage the situation.
Rivalry cause of House fracas
New Delhi: The flash-point in Lok Sabha between JD(U) and RJD MPs was born of a deep simmering rivalry between the two sides. Even though he offered an apology — while inserting the caveat that provocative acts could not be disregarded — Lalu told TV interviewers that his party’s decision to raise an issue of dalit atrocity had invoked the backlash.
The RJD leader pointed to JD(U)’s Prabhunath Singh’s criminal record of 40-odd cases and argued that the MP had been involved in violence against lower and backward castes. Through Thursday evening, the Lok Sabha fracas was being played out in TV studios with Rajiv Ranjan “Lallan” Singh batting for JD(U) and Ramkripal Singh taking cudgels for RJD.
The nature of the issue also saw a realignment in terms of Bihar political groups with Lok Janshakti Party headed by Lalu’s bitter critic and steel minister Ram vilas Paswan backing RJD.
While Sadhu has a “wild” reputation, the JD(U) leadership wouldn’t be too pleased over Prabhunath allowing Lalu to allege that it was covering up a anti-Dalit crime. In Lok Sabha, once Prabhunath and Sadhu were separated, the commotion continued for five to seven minutes with over 30 MPs in the well. This was when RJD’s Rabinder Kumar Rana got into an argument with BJP’s M A Kharbela Swain. An agitated Rana threw a sound box lying on the parliamentary reporters’ table at Swain, missing him by a few inches.
Another attempt was made to calm down MPs even as an incensed Lalu took on Prabhunath. Sensing the tense turn of events, Lok Sabha secretary PDT Achary asked for marshals. It took all of Dasmunsi’s persuasive skills to get some order restored after which he held consultations with BJP leader V K Malhotra and Lalu.
BLOW BY BLOW
It began with Prabhunath Singh alleging criminals behind a recent rape were Lalu’s men. Enraged, Lalu’s brother-in-law Sadhu charged at Prabhunath
As an incensed Lalu shouted at Prabhunath, RJD, JD(U), BJP and Congress MPs milled in confusion
Meanwhile, RJD’s R K Rana hurled a sound box at BJP’s Kharbela Swain, but missed the MP
TOI
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