SP MLA assaulted in MP assembly, 3 MLAs suspended

Bhopal, Mar 9 (UNI) Samajwadi Party MLA Sunilam was assaulted by ruling BJP members in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly today and later, along with two Congress legislators, suspended from the House for the rest of the ongoing Budget session.

The ugly sequence of events erupted at the end of Question Hour when Satyadev Katare and Ramnivas Rawat (both Congress) brought a bunch of corn into the House and did not remove it even after repeated directives from Speaker Ishwardas Rohani.

Meanwhile, Dr Sunilam entered the well of the House and pleaded with Mr Rohani that the minister concerned was not furnishing a reply to his question, listed 19th today. He staged a sit-in briefly in the well. As Zero Hour was approaching, the Congress members were seeking immediate discussion on crop damage due to hail indulged in slogan-shouting leading to chaos.

Dr Sunilam was approaching the treasury bench when some BJP members, including two ministers, intercepted him and engaged in fisticuffs. The Speaker adjourned the House for 10 minutes.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also intervened as the ruling party members were assaulting Dr Sunilam in the well. The chief marshal and senior Congress MLA Ajay Singh had to intervene to stop the agitated BJP MLAs.

When the House reassembled after half an hour, the Congress members raised slogans against the government's alleged anti-farmer attitude. The House was adjourned for a third time till 1430 hrs.

A resolution moved by PWD Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya seeking suspension of Dr Sunilam, Mr Katare and Mr Rawat was passed by voice vote.

Mr Chouhan blamed the opposition for the ''unfortunate incidents'' and said it was a ''black day'' in the history of the Vidhan Sabha.

Denying the opposition charge that the SP MLA was assaulted at his instance, Mr Chouhan said the treasury bench intervened as it was apprehended that Dr Sunilam, who was advancing towards the Chief Minister's chair holding a bunch of corn, might go to ''any extent''.

Leader of Opposition Jamuna Devi held the Chief Minister responsible for the ugly incidents. The three MLAs said they were not heard before suspending them. The opposition members also staged a brief sit-in before the speaker's chamber.

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