MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Legislative Council on Thursday witnessed a verbal duel between Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe and state Cabinet member Gulabrao Patil, an interaction during which the former rebuked the latter, saying "you are a minister at your home".
Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Suresh Dhas of the ruling ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) later requested the deputy chairperson to expunge her remarks from Council records to which Gorhe said she will examine them.
The verbal exchange occurred when School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar was responding to a question in the Upper House.
The opposition was unsatisfied with Kesarkar's reply despite an assurance that he will hold a meeting on the issue on Tuesday.
"Then Gulabrao Patil intervened and started speaking from his seat," Shiv Sena MLC Manisha Kayande said.
The intervention by Patil, the water supply and sanitation minister, further angered the opposition members who stormed into the Well of the House, leading to a brief adjournment.
"The Education Minister was responding to a question. The Leader of Opposition said one minister (Patil) was bossing around. You please sit down. This question is not related to your department. This question is related to Kesarkar's department," Gorhe told Patil.
Despite the Chair's instruction to Patil to take his seat, chaos continued in the House.
Later, Gorhe said, "Gulabrao Patil ji, I have, from time to time, warned you, requested you. Take your seat immediately. What kind of behaviour is this in the House? Parliamentary Affairs Minister, can't you tell him (to behave)."
Patil, a rebel Shiv Sena MLA who is part of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's faction, was also a minister in the previous Uddhav Thackeray government.
Seeking to reply, Patil said, "I am a minister" and added he should be given a chance to speak.
Gorhe lost her cool and shot back, "What if you are a minister. You are a minister at your home. Take your seat."
This, however, did not go down well with Dhas, who raised the issue in the House.
"I don't want to guide you (Gorhe). I don't have anything to say when you warned Gulabrao Patil. You told the parliamentary affairs minister to talk to him. I don't have anything to say about that, too. But then Gulabrao Patil said he should be given a chance to speak. At that time, you inadvertently said 'you are a minister at your home'. I request you to expunge those remarks," Dhas told the Deputy Chairperson.
On another occasion in the Upper House, Rural Development Minister Girish Mahajan, too, found himself at the receiving end of Gorhe's anger.
In response to an issue raised by NCP MLC Amol Mitkari, Gorhe told the minister not to laugh and give the reply with seriousness.