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Mamata, SP member exchange blows, Lok Sabha adjourned

The Lok Sabha today witnessed unprecedented spectacle of violence when Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee caught Samajwadi Party MP Daroga Prasad Saroj by the scruff of his collar in a bid to restrain him from reaching the Speaker's podium.

This forced an abrupt adjournment of the House for the day. Both the SP member and Banerjee charged each other with initiating the physical attack. While she accused him of kicking her, Saroj said he was caught by his collar and punched by her.

The incident took place even as Speaker Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi was entering the House after the first adjournment.

Sensing the possibility of the introduction of women's reservation bill today, women members cutting across party lines had gathered at one end of the well while the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha members had assembled at the other end.

As the Speaker entered the House, Saroj attempted to reach the podium when the incident took place. The Samajwadi Party members lodged a complaint with the Speaker demanding the disqualification of Banerjee for attacking their member. Banerjee told the media that she would not allow the House to transact business unless the women's bill was taken up.

The Lok Sabha met briefly after the incident and adjourned for the day. The Rajya Sabha was earlier adjourned for the day when Opposition members blocked the proceedings to highlight today's Bharat Bandh compelling Vice-President RS Chairman Krishan Kant to adjourn the House till Monday.

Immediately after this outburst of violence, a Samajwadi Party delegation led by Mulayam Singh Yadav met Balayogi in his chamber and sought immediate disciplinary action against Mamata Banerjee.

The complaint said had the incident taken place outside the House Banerjee could have been booked under the Prevention of Atrocities Against Harijan Act since the member who was attacked belonged to this community.

Banerjee said she too was beaten up by Saroj and video films of the proceedings would reveal this. She said, ''I had no intention of assaulting and abusing the SP member and only wanted to prevent him from going towards the Speaker's podium against the women's reservation bill. I was kicked.'' She also warned that her party would not allow the House to transact any business unless the women's bill was taken up.

UNI

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