Shoe fight in Rajasthan Assembly as tempers flare

Ugly scenes were witnessed in Rajasthan Assembly on Monday when an opposition Bharatiya Janata Party member of Legislative Assembly hurled a sandal towards Congress members and a ruling party lawmaker retaliated by brandishing his shoe following a heated exchange between two legislators. The footwear, however, did not hit anyone.

The incident occcured when Congress MLA Raghu Sharma interrupted BJP MLA Pramila Kundara while she was speaking in the house during the zero hour.

Kundara alleged that Sharma had illegally transferred a land of a water body in his wife's name near Chaksu. When Raghu made some comments against Kundara, angry BJP MLAs stormed the Well. In the ruckus, a sandal was hurled towards the Congress MLAs from among the opposition members and it fell near the officers' gallery.

Raghu retaliated by bradishing his shoe at the opposition following which the House was adjourned for half an hour.

When a security man took the sandal in his possession, Congress MLA Pratap Singh took it and went to the chamber of the Speaker. It is not clear who hurled the sandal. Kundara alleged that Raghu made indecent remarks against her and demanded an apology.

When the House reassembled, Speaker Surendra Jadawat was once again forced to adjourn it for another 30 minutes. BJP MLA Bhawani Singh Rajawat said it was an unfortunate incident.

"When Pramila Kunada was speaking in the House, Raghu Sharma made some unacceptable comments. The comments were unparliamentarily so we went to the Well and demanded that the Speaker expunge the comments. Meanwhile, the sandal was hurled by a member," told media persons outside the Assembly.

"I don't know who hurled the sandal but it was unfortunate," he said.