The two ministers have been at war for a long time. Both were earlier in the Congress party.
An ugly public fight erupted between two of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's ministers and many present on the spot at Malda in West Bengal thought they just might come to blows.
Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury, minister for food processing, lawmaker from the Englishbazar seat in Malda and chairman of the Englishbazar Municipality, shouted at Sabitri Mitra, minister without portfolio, for distributing 'pattas' or land ownership papers to people in his territory without his knowledge.
Mamata Banerjee has pulled them up in the past for public spats. Today's was among the worst.
It erupted this afternoon at a function organized by West Bengal government for distribution of 'pattas' by Sabitri Mitra at Malda College auditorium. As speeches were being made and Ms Mitra was seated on the dais, Mr Chowdhury marched in and started shouting, first at officials, then at Ms Mitra.
"How can you have a patta distribution programme without letting me know? Why haven't you taken my permission?" Mr Chowdhury thundered. While the officials kept quiet, Ms Mitra said loudly, "There is no need for any permission from the municipality to distribute pattas here."
Mr Chowdhury shouted back saying Ms Mitra did not know the rules.
Finally, officials stepped in and announced that the programme was being postponed.
The two ministers have been at war for a long time. Both were earlier in the Congress party. Ms Mitra joined the Trinamool before the watershed 2011 elections. Mr Chowdhury joined in 2012.
As visuals of the verbal spat between the two ministers went viral on television and the Internet, the party top leadership took exception and asked lawmaker Subhendu Adhikari, who is the observer for the district, to talk to the two ministers and caution them.