Trinamool, CPI-M in land bill verbal duel

A verbal duel took place between agitated Trinamool Congress and CPI-M members in the Lok Sabha Thursday during a discussion on the land acquisition bill.

While participating in the debate on the land bill, Trinamool Congress's Sudip Bandopadhyay referred to incidents during acquisition of land in West Bengal's Nandigram and Singur for industries when the Left was in power.

CPI-M members, led by Ram Chandra Dome, were seen protesting against Bandopadhyay, who said many farmers agitating against forceful land acquisition died in Nandigram and Singur when the then state government applied a more than a century-old law to acquire land.

Trinamool Congress members, led by Kalyan Banerjee and Saugata Roy, countered the agitating CPI-M members which led to a heated exchange of words.

Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, who moved the bill for consideration and passing, and Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office V. Narayanasamy managed to pacify the agitating members.

However, the situation again went out of control when CPI-M leader Basudeb Acharia was invited for the debate.

Trinamool members, including Kalyan Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar shouted at Acharia. CPI-M members, including Dome, M.B. Rajesh and A. Sampath reacted angrily and the two sides nearly came to blows.

As angry exchange of words by both the sides continued, Ramesh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath, other parliamentarians, including Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav tried to pacify them.

"You people are making mockery of the House," Francisco Sardinha, chairing the debate, said.

When Kalyan Banerjee interrupted Acharia's speech, Sardinha reminded him: "This is not West Bengal assembly."

Meanwhile, Lalu asked the chair to ensure that the reply came by 7 p.m. "There is no point dragging the debate beyond that," he said.