CHENNAI: The West Bengal Assembly witnessed bedlam on Monday marked by exchange of fisticuffs between TMC and BJP MLAs over the Birbhum killings, in yet another instance of acrimony in a House of elected representatives in the country.
Following are the other well-known episodes of fracas involving the Treasury and Opposition benches in different states.
Tamil Nadu, 1989: The House witnessed unruly scenes when the DMK was in the 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 the state's Chief Minister and did so two years later.
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 physically evicted.
Then LoP and DMK chief M K Stalin and Speaker P Dhanapal said their shirts were torn in the melee.
Maharashtra, 2009: Four MLAs of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were suspended for four years for attacking Samajwadi Party member Abu Azmi, who took his oath as a legislator in Hindi.
As the new MLAs were being sworn in, legislators 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.
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.
Kerala, 2015: The assembly had witnessed unprecedented scenes 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.
Uttar Pradesh, 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.
Uttar Pradesh, 2013: It was a free-for-all in the well when BJP raised a storm in response to Samajwadi Party minister Ambika Chaudhary's aggressive remarks against a party MLA.
Uttar Pradesh, 1997: A brawl erupted when one Bahujan Samaj Party MLA allegedly threw a small loudspeaker at the Speaker's chair in the course of a protest against the BJP government.
Microphone stands, paperweights, glass shards and furniture were used by members to attack each other, leaving many grievously injured.
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, 2014: Passage of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, that paved the way for creation of Telangana state, saw acrimonious scenes such as pushing and jostling between MPs.
What exactlly happened at the Bengal Assembly today?
The West Bengal assembly plunged into chaos on Monday as legislators of the TMC and the BJP came to blows after heated arguments over the Birbhum killings, prompting the Speaker to suspend five saffron party MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.
The last day of the budget session ended in a shocking display of political animosity, as MLAs of both sides engaged in fisticuffs, leading to the hospitalisation of some of the legislators.
Shortly after the House assembled at 11 am, BJP MLAs trooped to the well, demanding a statement by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the "worsening" law and order situation in the wake of the carnage in Birbhum district where eight people were burnt to death last week.
Speaker Biman Banerjee tried to pacify the BJP MLAs, who continued with sloganeering inside the House, leading to a war of words with legislators of the treasury bench and an eventual ugly scuffle.
Adhikari then walked out of the assembly, claiming that TMC MLAs roughed up party legislators.
"MLAs are not safe even inside the assembly. At least 8-10 of our legislators including Chief Whip Manoj Tigga, were beaten up by some TMC MLAs, as we demanded that the CM make a statement in the House on the law and order issue," Adhikari said.
Senior TMC leader and minister Firhad Hakim claimed that the BJP is staging a drama to create chaos in the assembly.
"A few of our MLAs were injured inside the House. We condemn the conduct of the BJP," he said.
Among those who were injured in the melee were TMC MLA Asit Majumdar and BJP chief whip Manoj Tigga, both of whom were taken to hospital.
Majumdar claimed that Adhikari had punched him on the nose, a charge denied by the BJP leader.
The saffron party legislators are faking injuries to hide their misdeeds, Hakim alleged.
The BJP claimed that Tigga has suffered a fracture on his chest and was admitted to a private hospital along with six other BJP MLAs.
Adhikari, along with BJP legislators Dipak Burman, Shankar Ghosh, Manoj Tigga and Narahari Mahato, were suspended by the Speaker for the entire session till the House is prorogued.
Prorogation is discontinuing a session of Parliament or a Legislative Assembly without dissolving it.
"What happened today is completely unacceptable.
How the five MLAs behaved with the women staff of the House is a shame for parliamentary democracy," the Speaker told reporters.
Banerjee also said that the extent of damage to articles within the assembly hall in the scuffle would be assessed and appropriate action taken.
Earlier this month, two BJP MLAs, Sudip Mukhopadhyay and Mihir Goswami were suspended from the ongoing state Budget session for creating disturbances in the House during Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar's speech on March 7.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said BJP leaders tried to create disturbance inside and outside the House.
"Though the session ended today, they will continue with their disruptive politics.
I urge everyone to be on guard to foil the game plan of the BJP.
They are demanding the CM's statement, but when she speaks in the House, they create disturbance in the House," Chatterjee said.
Later, speaking to reporters in Darjeeling, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declined to comment on the incident saying matters related to the assembly is the Speaker's prerogative.
The BJP, however, denied all allegations and accused the ruling TMC of letting loose a reign of terror in the assembly.
"They are running the government in an authoritarian manner. We will not tolerate this," Adhikari said, adding he would meet the Speaker with an appeal to revoke the suspension.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar alleged in a press conference that the attack on the party MLAs the Assembly was pre-planned and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is behind this.
That is the reason she chose not to attend the last day of the budget session and instead travelled to north Bengal, he claimed.
He said the party will organise protest rallies across the state from Tuesday.
Later in the evening, the entire top brass of the state BJP unit hit the streets and took out a rally in central Kolkata, protesting against the assault on its MLAs.
"The Speaker is acting in the most partisan manner. He is a shame for parliamentary democracy. We have decided to shift some of our injured MLAs to AIIMS for better treatment as the state government is pressuring the private hospital to release them," Sukanta Majumdar said.
He said the BJP MLAs would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this week in New Delhi and complain about the "lawlessness" in the state.
The incident brought back memories of opposition Left and ruling TMC legislators trading blows in December 2012 on the floor of the house, leading to injuries on both sides.
Accusing Trinamool Congress MLAs of "violently assaulting" its legislators in the West Bengal Assembly on Monday, the BJP asserted that the Centre cannot remain a "mute spectator" to the state government "flouting" constitutional norms.
Expressing concern over the state of affairs in West Bengal, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters at Parliament House Complex that criminal and anarchic elements have "hijacked" the constitutional machinery in the state.
Ruling TMC and opposition BJP MLAs came to blows in the Assembly as chaos erupted after the latter demanded a statement from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the "deteriorating" law and order situation in the state.
Naqvi alleged that democratic normals are being "murdered" in Bengal under the patronage of the state government and Banerjee.
BJP MLAs were physically attacked and their clothes torn in the Assembly, he alleged.
People had given Banerjee the mandate in the 2021 polls to make amends for her government's mistakes but she has again let loose a reign of violence and anarchy, he said.
To a question if the Centre could impose President's rule in the state, Naqvi said the government will not compete with Banerjee in flouting constitutional values but will not remain a "mute spectator" either.
Locket Chatterjee, a BJP MP from the state, also hit out at Banerjee.
She said five BJP MLAs were assaulted on the "directions" of the chief minister but the state government wants to throttle the opposition's voice against the killing of eight people in Birbhum.
Other BJP leaders also attacked the TMC.
BJP general secretary C T Ravi tweeted, "BJP MLAs were violently assaulted by unruly TMC MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly.
Mistake of Our MLAs? They asked for a discussion on the Birbhum massacre which was executed by TMC Goons.
What is Mamata Benerjee trying to hide from the people? Does T in TMC stand for Taliban?" Unidentified people had on March 21 set ablaze 10 houses in Birbhum, killing at least eight people, including women and children.
BJP chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni alleged that murders and anarchy have again started under Banerjee's rule in the state, and the TMC government violently attacks BJP MLAs instead of discussing the "Birbhum massacre".
"The TMC government, murderer of democracy, should be ashamed," he said.
Around 25 BJP MLAs led by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari walked out of the West Bengal Assembly, claiming that several party legislators were roughed up by TMC MLAs inside the House.
Five BJP MLAs, including Adhikari, were later suspended by Assembly Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay for the entire year for their alleged unruly conduct in the House.