Bedlam in Guj Assembly: 2 Cong MLAs suspended

The Gujarat Vidhan Sabha on Thursday witnessed scenes of violence over the suicide by farmers with legislators of the ruling BJP and opposition Congress exchanging blows. The fracas in the Assembly left minister of state for women and child welfare Nirmaa Wadhvani as well as Congress MLA Baldev Thakore injured.

The trouble began during question hour when Paresh Dhanani, Congress legislator raised the issue of farmers suicides in Gujarat and minister of state for Home, Pradipsinh Jadeja shot back that he had already answered the question earlier. This lead to vociferous protests with both sides engaging in a bout of shouting, soon after Dhanani and Thakore rushed into the well of the House.

There was utter bedlam with both sides menacingly facing each other in the well of the House with verbal calisthenics giving way to jostling and later turning physical. In the process Wadhwani and Thakore sustained injuries. A while later, the minister was seen with left hand in plaster and the congress legislator with a left leg fully bandaged.

Deputy chief minister Nitin Patel blamed Congress legislator from Kalol, Baldev Patel for attacking the minister while Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil charged the minister with trying to strangulate the opposition MLA Thakore.

Subsequently leader of the Congress opposition in the Vidhan Sabha, Shankersinh Vaghela convened a stock taking meeting of his party legislators as well as the BJP women legislators with chief whip Pankaj Desai.