Maharashtra News: An altercation took place between Maharashtra minister Dada Bhuse and Karjat MLA Mahendra Thorve, both belonging to the ruling Shiv Sena, in the lobby of the Vidhan Bhavan, the state legislature complex in Mumbai, on Friday.
The fracas between Bhuse, the state Public Works Department (PWD) minister, and Thorve took place on the last day of the budget session of the state legislature. The opposition targeted the government and termed the incident "serious.".
According to news agency PTI, the drama unfolded just after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the party, went inside the Vidhan Bhavan complex along with other MLAs. Another minister, Shambhuraj Desai, and Shiv Sena's chief whip, Bharat Gogawale, intervened and defused the tension between Bhuse and Thorve.
Speaking to reporters on scuffle with Dadaji Bhuse, Mahendra Thorve said there was no scuffle as such and It was just a short conversation. "There was no scuffle as such. I had informed him about some work and I was asking if the work had been completed or not. It was a short conversation between us but things are settled now. Today is the last day of the Assembly and MLAs generally ask about the pending works. CM Eknath Shinde ensures that the work of every MLA is done and ministers should also do the same," Thorve said.
Meanwhile, Desai said no scuffle broke out between the two Shiv Sena members. "No cameras are allowed inside the Vidhan Bhavan building. What proof do you have?" he asked. "The two MLAs were discussing development works, during which one of them spoke loudly. We took them inside and resolved the matter. The minister was trying to tell the MLA about the technical difficulties," he said, as quoted by PTI.
The matter also resonated in the legislative council, with Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve seeking clarification on the issue. After this, the House winessed a ruckus created by the opposition members, prompting Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe to adjourn the proceedings for an hour.
In the assembly, opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) legislators said two members of the House clashed in the Vidhan Bhavan lobby, and termed the incident as "serious".
The legislators demanded that the House be adjourned to give time to the government to issue a statement over the issue, PTI reported. Congress MLA Prithviraj Chavan asked if the CCTV footage can be accessed. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said he has spoken to Bhuse and Thorve, and both of them denied that there was any scuffle between them.