Bengaluru, DHNS: The Legislative Assembly on Tuesday witnessed ruckus over Forest Minister Ramanath Rai's threatening gesture at the opposition BJP members.

The minister lost his cool and tried to charge at the Opposition benches menacingly when BJP's Lakshman Savadi said the minister should be sent to a mental asylum.

Enraged by the minister's gesture the BJP members trooped into the well of the House and staged a dharna, demanding that Rai should tender an apology.

As the Opposition members and the minister nearly came to blows and wagged their fingers at each other, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed the watch and ward personnel to maintain order in the House. About half a dozen watch and ward personnel trooped in and formed a cordon around Rai to separate the warring sides.

Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil prevented Rai from charging at the Opposition members.

Earlier, the BJP MLAs objected to Rai interrupting K G Bopaiah, who was speaking on police officer M K Ganapathi’s death. Bopaiah said the forest minister should concentrate on solving the problem of elephants straying into human habitation in Kodagu, instead of bothering about the Ganapathi issue. Many BJP members ridiculed the minister saying Rai always interrupts others whenever he wakes up from sleep.

The minister hit back saying he was a six-time MLA and didn’t need any lessons on good conduct from Opposition members. BJP's Laksham Savadi then said: “Gol Gumbaz is also 350-years old. Can we call it ajja (grandfather) or amma (mother)”?

An irate Rai said he knew who was responsible for police officer Kallappa Handibag’s death, pointing his finger at the Opposition benches. Members of both the BJP and the JD(S) demanded that the minister should disclose the murderer’s name in the House. Savadi’s statement that the minister should be sent to a mental asylum angered Rai, who tried to charge at the Opposition members. The Speaker later adjourned the House.