Left, DMK MPs fight in Lok Sabha

LEFT, RIGHT & CENTRE: Left MPs surrounded T R Baalu as he tried to introduce the Bill.

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New Delhi: The Lok Sabha faced severe embarrassment on Tuesday when several Left and DMK MPs, who are partners in the UPA Government, scuffled with each other.

Many Left MPs surrounded Union Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister T R Baalu when he was about to introduce the Indian Maritime University Bill, which proposes to shift the Maritime University from Kolkata to Chennai.

Left MPs allegedly snatched a copy of the Bill from Baalu. DMK leaders including Minister of State for Finance S S Palanimanickam, formed wall around Baalu.

Marshals were called in to restore order. Left MPs claimed they were not briefed about the Bill and were caught unawares when Baalu rose to introduce the Bill.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi tried to calm tempers while BJP-led opposition members thumped desks.

"Our grouse is with the Prime Minister. We don't have a problem with Tamil Nadu or the DMK. It was an unprecedented situation. I know it is not right to go into the well of the House, but our emotions had come into play then," said CPM leader Gurudas Dasgupta, who alleged that West Bengal was being discriminated against.

A meeting will be held in Speaker Somnath Chatterjee’s chamber to discuss the incident, which may spoil ties between the two UPA parties.

The Left’s allegation that it was not briefed about the Bill may be seen as the Congress can’t manage coalition politics, as such issues are supposed to be sorted out at the UPA’s Coordination Committee.

The BJP will, of course, take maximum mileage of the incident. BJP Spokesperson and South Delhi MP V K Malhotra said that in his entire term, he had never seen Marshals being asked to restore order in House.

"It is disgusting to see ministers coming to blows," he added.

The Cabinet had approved the Indian Maritime University Bill, 2006, on December 18. The Bill proposes the formation of Indian Maritime University with headquarters at Chennai and regional campuses at Kolkata, Mumbai and Visakhapatnam.

Chennai has a long maritime history and is an important port in terms of the volume of business. Kolkata, on the other hand, is a river port and reportedly has lesser business compared to Chennai.

(With inputs from Diptosh Majumdar and Pallavi Ghosh)