The Israel-Hamas war led to a clash in the Bihar Legislative Assembly at the beginning of its winter session on Monday as several ruling Grand Alliance MLAs demanded a condolence for the innocent people being massacred in Gaza, while the BJP legislators opposed it.

The issue cropped up when Assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary read condolence messages on the death of nine former MLAs in recent months and called for observing a minute’s silence.

Just then, CPI(ML) MLAs led by its legislature party leader Mahboob Alam demanded that the killing of men, women and children by Israel in Gaza must be included in the condolence.

“Israel is butchering people in Gaza. It is a war in which innocent men, women and children of Palestine are being killed. It is there for everybody to see. This must stop. We must condemn the killings and condole this in the Assembly,” Alam said.

The CPI, CPM, Congress and AIMIM legislators also supported the demand while chief minister Nitish Kumar, MLAs from his JDU and RJD stood in silence to condole the departed former members of the House.

The BJP legislators immediately joined the issue, opposing the demand and asserting that the killing of the people of Israel by Hamas should be denounced and condoled.

Soon several ruling alliance and BJP MLAs were shouting at each other. The ruckus marred the sanctity of the traditional condolence and silent tributes to the departed legislators. The Speaker adjourned the House till Tuesday morning.

The CPI(ML) MLAs also took out a march inside the House premises to demand a free Palestine.