Cong MLA assaults his BJP counterpart in House

Amitabh Shukla

New Delhi, September 13

The Delhi Assembly on Thursday saw a Congress MLA move menacingly towards another, threatening him of dire consequences and then pushing him in the presence of the Speaker and the Chief Minister. The BJP MLA Sahib Singh Chauhan, who bore the brunt of the verbal and physical assault of Congress MLA Bheesham Sharma, fell on his seat.

“This is highly condemnable. This cannot be allowed,” CM Sheila Dikshit told Reporters after the House was adjourned. “Some legislators are converting the House into another MCD,” said another Congress MLA Narendra Nath, referring to the recent violent incidents in the corporation. “This was unfortunate. Issues are settled in democracy through debate not in any other way,” said legislator Jile Singh Chauhan.

The incident involving Sharma and Chauhan took place soon after the Question Hour was over. Sharma spoke on the delays in the construction of the Signature Bridge at Wazirabad. Chauhan took a dig at Sharma. This enraged the Congress legislator. He threatened Chauhan. “I will see you outside the House,” Sharma was heard saying. Chauhan, meanwhile, continued to speak. Soon Sharma got on his feet, jumped in the Well and moved menacingly towards Chauhan. Before anybody could realise what was happening, he pushed Chauhan, threatened him and sat on his seat.

The BJP legislators were soon on their feet. Chauhan, who started crying, sat in the Well of the House. Speaker Chaudhary Prem Singh asked Sharma to go out of the House. The Marshals soon evicted him. BJP members did not allow the House to function thereafter. The Speaker adjourned it first for 10 minutes. When the House reassembled, the BJP MLAs continued to demand a statement from Dikshit. She refused to give any statement on the floor of the House. It was adjourned for half an hour. When the Opposition refused to allow the House to function, it was finally adjourned for the day.

Chauhan, the aggrieved MLA, later wrote a letter to the Speaker asking him to direct the police to lodge a FIR of physical assault and threats. “I have been a member of the House for 14 years and such an incident has never taken place,” said Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan. He said the physical assault has brought disgrace to the elected representatives and cutting across party lines we should put an end to such abhorrent practices. The state BJP President said a privilege motion should be brought against the MLA and he should be punished to prevent a repeat of such incidents. The BJP has planned more protests on Friday and has decided that it would not allow the House to function till a resolution condemning the behaviour of Sharma is brought and passed. (2007)