How blows traded in Legislative Houses

The West Bengal Assemblywitnessed bedlam on Monday last marked by exchange of fisticuffs between TMC and BJP MLAs over the Birbhum killings, but this was not the first instance of acrimony in a House of elected representatives in the country. A look at other unruly scenes all over the country in the last three decades:

Tamil Nadu, 1989

The House witnessed unruly scenes when the DMK was in the ruling saddle. The then Leader of Opposition, late J Jayalalithaa was allegedly attacked and humiliated by ruling party members during a debate, and her leaving the House with disheveled hair amid a security ring by party MLAs remains a stark picture in TN politics. Jayalalithaa vowed to return to the Assembly as Chief Minister and did so two years later.

Uttar Pradesh, 1997

Brawl erupted when one Bahujan Samaj Party MLA allegedly threw a small loudspeaker at the Speaker's chair in course of protest against the BJP government. Microphone stands, paperweights, glass shards and furniture were used by members to attack each other, leaving many grievously injured.

Maharashtra, 2009

Four MLAs of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were suspended for four years for attacking Samajwadi Party member Abu Azmi for taking his oath as a legislator in Hindi. As the new MLAs were being sworn in, MLAs of the Raj Thackeray-led party pounced on Azmi, who was pushed and slapped until security guards were able to rescue him and escort him out of the House. Thackeray had earlier appealed to MLAs to take their oath in Marathi, a veiled warning aimed at Azmi, who repeatedly asked for Hindi to be added to the language of the legislature.

Uttar Pradesh, 2013 & 2017

In 2013, it was free-for-all in the well when BJP raised a storm in response to SP minister Ambika Chaudhary's aggressive remarks against a party MLA. In 2017, Governor Ram Naik was pelted with paper balls by the opposition during an address, the House witnessed slogan-shouting and trooping into the well by opposition members, even as an SP member blew a whistle through the 35-minute address to ensure that the governor's voice was drowned out.

Kerala, 2015

The assembly had witnessed unprecedented scenes on March 13 as then opposition LDF members tried to prevent Finance Minister K M Mani, who was facing charges in the bar bribery scam, from presenting the state budget. The speaker's chair was flung from the podium while electronic equipment like computers, keyboards and mikes on the desk of the presiding officer were also allegedly damaged.:

Tamil Nadu, 2017

During the trust vote of the K Palaniswami-led AIADMK government, pandemonium broke out inside the House and some opposition members even climbed atop the Speaker's podium and sat on the chair, while the opposition DMK members were evicted physically. Then LoP and DMK chief M K Stalin and Speaker P Dhanapal said their shirts were torn in the melee.

Jammu and Kashmir, 2019

House witnessed noisy scenes during a discussion on the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST), with opposition members rushing towards the chair, prompting adjournments.

Parliament, 2021

Rajya Sabha witnessed ugly scenes as some MPs tore papers, jostled with the marshals and attempted to go near the presiding officer's chair and some marshals were allegedly attacked, even as the House was adjourned sine die two days ahead of its scheduled end of the monsoon session in August. Twelve opposition MPs were subsequently suspended in connection with the incident.