New Delhi: A verbal duel between two members in Rajya Sabha today (Dec 8, 2003) turned virtually physical but the intervention of some fellow MPs prevented unseemly scenes.

Apologies were tendered later for their behaviour.

A piquant situation arose when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member S S Ahluwalia came to near blows with senior Congress member H R Bhardwaj after the House was adjourned following noisy scenes over the Jogi episode.

Both Ahluwalia and Bhardwaj were engaged in a wordy duel during the Zero Hour when the former raised the issue and accused Ajit Jogi of trying to split the BJP MLAs with the help of money power.

Bhardwaj and his many other party colleagues tried to shout down the firebrand BJP member and a slanging match ensued between the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress members over the episode during the Zero Hour.

With both sides trading charges and counter-charges, Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptulla adjourned the House nearly two hours ahead of the lunch break.

Though members started leaving the hall, Ahluwalia and Bhardwaj showed no signs of cooling down. Once in the Well, they again had a heated exchange following which they nearly came to blows.

Senior members rushed in and separated the two agitated members to prevent any ugly incident never witnessed in the past.

PTI