Himachal assembly witnesses unruly scenes

The Himachal Pradesh assembly on Friday witnessed unruly scenes as members of the treasury and opposition benches virtually came to blows after arguments over the opposition BJP's demand for a debate on a clash in a Shimla college.

After more than half-an-hour of verbal slugfest, Speaker B.B.L. Butail adjourned the house for 15 minutes.

Earlier, BJP member Gobind Thakur stood up soon after the question hour was over and wanted to raise the issue of the clash on August 20.

He alleged that the college principal manhandled a girl student during the clash.

The speaker said this issue was under his consideration and he was awaiting a reply from the government.

Later, all the BJP legislators walked up to the speaker's podium, raised anti-government slogans and disrupted the proceedings.

In the melee, members of the Congress and the BJP came to blows in the presence of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

Transport Minister G.S. Bali and Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri took the lead from the treasury benches to pacify the BJP members.

Seeing the pandemonium, Butail adjourned the house.

After the house re-assembled, the BJP members remained near the speaker's seat and disrupted the proceedings of the house by shouting slogans.

Despite repeated requests by the speaker, they refused to relent.

Butail expunged the unparliamentary words exchanged between the opposition and the treasury benches.

The entire business of the house was carried out amid sloganeering by the BJP members before the house was adjourned for the day.

The chief minister told reporters that it was "unfortunate" that the assembly proceedings were disrupted.

"This is a vulgar display by the opposition. Even leader of the opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal was helpless to control his legislators," he said.

Regarding the clash, the chief minister said that activists of BJP's youth wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad were involved in the clash.

"Even some BJP leaders were involved in the clash. Most of the accused arrested are not even students of the college," the chief minister added.