BSP, SP members clash during trust vote debate

NEW DELHI: A fracas broke out in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the trust motion on Monday as a Samajwadi Party member tried to force Ilyas Azmi of BSP to sit down, forcing the adjournment of the House for 15 minutes.

The problem started when SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, who was speaking on the motion, commented that the Left and other parties were dislodging the government to "serve the ego of one person".

This was taken by the BSP members as a comment against their leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, leading Azmi to stand up and make a noisy protest. Some SP members, seated behind Azmi, shouted back and one of them raised his hands to try to force him to take his seat.

This provoked other BSP members, including Akbar Ahmed Dumpy, to rush to the aid of Azmi. The MPs then trooped into the well of the House to protest the behaviour of the SP members.

They also alleged that the SP members were trying to hit Azmi. In a bid to restore order, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee adjourned the House for 15 minutes.