High drama was witnessed in theLok Sabha today as scuffle broke out between members when thecontroversial quota bill was moved for consideration, with anSP member snatching it from Minister V Narayanasamy and UPAChairperson Sonia Gandhi trying to retrieve it.
Hell broke loose as Narayanasamy rose to move theConstitution (117th Amendment) Bill for consideration of theHouse.
Yashvir Singh, a member of the SP, which extends outsidesupport to the government, came from aisle on the extreme leftside of the House and took away the Bill from Narayanasamy.
As a dazed minister watched in shock, Gandhi got up fromher front row seat to grab the bill from Singh.
"I was taken aback," Narayanasamy said later.
Singh represents Uttar Pradesh's Nagina constituency,which is reserved for the Scheduled Castes. Incidentally, theBill seeks to provide reservation to SCs/STs in promotion ingovernment jobs.
Gandhi's swift move caught Singh unawares and he leanedback and flung the Bill to his colleague Neeraj Shekhar, whowas in the Well. Shekhar tore the copy of the Bill and threwit in the Well.
The raised hand gesture of Singh angered Congress membersand Vilas Muttemwar, K Bapi Raju and Kantilal Bhuria amongothers moved towards Gandhi and threw a protective ring aroundher.
In the melee, there was some pushing around of SP membersby the agitated Congress leaders leading to a minor scuffle.
Amid the din, Speaker Meira Kumar abruptly adjourned theHouse for the day.
SP members were heard accusing Muttemwar of assaultingSingh as a Congress leader took the Nagpur member away fromthe scene.
Later, Muttemwar was seen giving his version of the incident to BJP members.
Singh had, meanwhile, passed on the bill to his partycolleague Neeraj Shekhar which fell down.
Although the Speaker left the House, the commotionpersisted.
In order to calm the tempers in the surcharged House,Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath walked up to SPsupremo Mulayam Singh Yadav who was surrounded by his partycolleagues including Singh.
Congress members also sought to reach out to the BJP inthe wake of incident but not to much success.
Samajwadi Party has been isolated on its opposition to theBill which will ensure quota in promotion in government jobsfor SC/ST employees.
BSP supremo Mayawati, an arch detractor of Samajwadi Partyin Uttar Pradesh politics, has been seeking to take credit forthe passage of the bill in the Rajya Sabha.
Earlier, the Women's Reservation Bill had met a similarfate when it was introduced in the Lok Sabha in 1998.
Firt-time member Surendra Prasad Yadav (RJD) had preventedintroduction of the Bill in the Lok Sabha by snatching it fromthe then Speaker G M C Balyogi and had torn it to bits.
The Rajya Sabha witnessed similar scenes last year whenRajniti Prasad (RJD) prevented the introduction of the LokpalBill by snatching it from Narayanasamy.