New Delhi, December 8
Indian democracy today hit a new low when two of its senior MPs, representing the country’s key political parties, were involved in a scuffle following a heated argument in Parliament.

The embarrassing incident followed a Parliamentary Standing Committee meeting on the UID during which Rashid Alvi of the Congress accused BJP’s SS Ahluwalia of leaking papers pertaining to some issue on the basis of a call that he (Alvi) claimed to have received from a journalist on his mobile phone.

Alvi insisted that the phone call, which the journalist inadvertently made to him thinking that he was Ahluwalia, proved that the BJP leader was responsible for leaking the report to media on Wednesday. When Alvi reiterated the claim in front of the journalists outside the room where the meeting had taken place, Ahluwalia apparently lost his cool.

“He (Ahluwalia) tried to snatch my phone,” claimed Alvi, adding that he would bring the incident to the notice of Chairman of the BJP Parliamentary Party LK Advani.

“Even if I was making a wild allegation, he (Ahluwalia) had no right to get physical with me,” Alvi said.

Ahluwalia, however, denied the charge.

“I never pushed Alvi. I wanted to see was the mobile phone and the number from which Alvi claimed to have received the call. In the 24 years of my Parliamentary career I have never leaked any report. Also tell me, why would a journalist call on Alvi’s number to thank me for providing the information,” Ahluwalia argued.

Meanwhile, eyewitnesses say the ugly scene was preceded by a verbal duel between Alvi and Ahluwalia regarding leaking of the proceedings of the committee to media.

Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha tried to stop them when the two MPs hurled abuses at each other. Ahluwalia tried to grab Alvi by his collar and in the melee Alvi`s mobile and spectacles fell down, they said.