SP, BJP members come to blows in UP Assembly

Members of the ruling Samajwadi Party and BJP today came to blows in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly after the House was adjourned over accusations on the recent Muzaffarangar riots which claimed 47 lives.

The House was adjourned for 25 minutes after BJP raised a storm in response to senior minister Ambika Chaudhary making aggressive remarks against a party member, following which BJP and SP members, including Ministers, indulged in a free-for-all in the well of the House.

With the situation taking an ugly turn, Congress' Pramod Tewari and Pradip Mathur helped by the marshals rushed to disentangle the members as tempers between the two sides ran high.

The problem started after Question Hour when Suresh Rana (BJP), whose name figured in the FIR lodged for giving provocative speech leading to Muzaffarnagar riots, was given a chance to give a clarification on the floor of the House.

Rana said he came to know about the FIR against him through the media and asked the government to examine the CD of the speech. He said he was ready to face the punishment if proved guilty and made a reference to involvement of some ruling party members, causing SP leaders to shout him down.

Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey asked him to confine himself to his clarification to which the BJP protested saying Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan was allowed to speak for an hour.

The BJP members barged into the well of the House shouting slogans against Khan and demanding adequate time for Rana to give his clarification, alleging discrimination.

After the Speaker relented and the BJP members returned to their seats, Rana made a mention about an incident in Shamli and how he and his party leader Humkum Singh made attempts to restore peace.

Hearing this, the SP members were again up on their seats.