Jaipur:
Politicians seem to take a sort of secret pride in giving India "new lows" as they go about their business. The "new lows" lately have been tumbling out in such rapid-fire succession that tracking them has proved to be tough.
Rajasthan, however, has now managed to distinguish itself. Hard to forget will be the images of four BJP MLAs emerging from the state Assembly, bruised after they tried to resist being escorted out of the building by marshals or security men.
Their eviction was the climax to a 24-hour drama that includes swear-words, a sleepover at the Assembly, and a politician being rushed to hospital.
It all began on Wednesday when a BJP MLA Hanuman Beniwal accused the Home Minister of corruption. The records show that the minister, Shanti Dhariwal, responded by saying, '
Saaley, I'll fix you in two minutes." (Dhariwal, however, insists he was talking to an MLA named Saleh Mohammed. An explanation that nobody's buying).
Beniwal was suspended on Wednesday for rowdy behavior. On Thursday, the BJP was further provoked when the Speaker of the House announced that BJP Chief Whip RS Rathore had been suspended for a year for unruly behaviour. Angry protests followed, and 75 BJP MLAs decided to spend the night at the Assembly as a sign of protest. Rathore was among them.
And on Friday morning, Rathore was very much among the MLAs inside the House. The Speaker, Dipendra Singh Shekawat, demanded that he be evicted. As marshals proceeded towards him, other BJP MLAs surrounded him to form a sort of human chain. Some say they were injured as marshals tried to make their way to Rathore. Gulab Singh Katariya, fomer Home Minister, complained of breathlessness and was taken to hospital.
The BJP's MLAs have organized for mattresses to be delivered to the Assembly on Friday night so they can continue their sleep-in demonstration. They say they will take turns to go out for dinner.