Jaipur: The Rajasthan assembly may have witnessed unruly scenes in the past, but this is the first time a sitting MLA has been accused of biting inside the Vidhan Sabha. The BJP has accused the Congress MLA from Ladnu, Mukesh Bhakar, of biting two security personnel - one of them a woman -- inside the Vidhan Sabha on Monday evening.
The fracas happened when Mr Bhakar tried to raise the issue of a legal post given to a minister in the Bhajan Lal government. The Speaker objected to gestures Mr Bhakar made while being seated.
The situation escalated and the Congress leader was asked to leave the House.
But the Congress decided to sit in the Well of the House in protest. When the martials were called in to physically lift the MLAs and put them outside, Mukesh Bhakar bit two security personnel, the BJP has alleged.
At a press conference held later, BJP chief whip Jogeshwar Garg said the ruling party tried to broker truce with the protesting Congress MLAs, they were asked to accept the suspension of Mukesh Bhakar and then apologise to break the deadlock. But the Congress refused to budge.
"The way Mukesh Bhakar behaved in the House was unpardonable. He bit two security personnel one of them a woman... she has her hand in a bandage right now," said a BJP leader.
Mr Bhakar, who has been suspended for six months, has denied the allegation.
"Look at my teeth," he said. 'Can they bite? I am ready for a medical checkup. They are biting themselves and making up stories," he said.
Jumping to his defence, Leader of the Opposition Tikaram Jully said, "They are saying Mukesh bit someone. We don't know who bit whom, but look at the way the martials behaved with elected representatives. They cannot push and shove the MLAs. They can carry them out but they misbehaved with our MLAs, especially the women members".
The biting incident has also left a bitter taste as the Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha adjourned today until further notice.
The Congress have refused to attend the screening of a film on BJP icon VD Savarkar, organised by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal. The Chief Minister had invited all MLAs to watch the film at the end of the Vidhan Sabha session. But it appears that for the Congress, it is a case of once bitten twice shy.