Patna: The Assembly was on the edge on Tuesday as RJD MLA Bhai Birendra and JDU MLA Birendra Singh almost came to blows.

The action took place when the House had adjourned following a discussion on the sand and chip crisis. RJD and ruling party MLAs had to drag the two MLAs apart. "The JDU MLA abused me and used unparliamentary words," said the RJD MLA. "I'm of stronger built. Had I wanted, I could have brought him down and hit him... But I did not, as we were inside the House."

The JDU MLA, a former Aurangabad MP, said: "The RJD MLA called me a gitti chor (stone chips thief). I neither deal in sand or stone chips. I also retaliated."

RJD MLAs then marched inside Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary's office and threatened not to allow the House to run unless the JDU MLA apologises. But the JDU MLA said the other side should apologise. The RJD MLAs, however, did not carry out their threat and attended the House, boycotting it only when chief minister Nitish Kumar spoke.

The BJP MLAs set the tone when they stood up on their seats and raised slogans against "use of derogatory words" for their leaders by RJD leaders (Tej Pratap Yadav's statement on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday). Tej Pratap was not seen in the House. RJD MLAs entered the Well of the House, raising slogans against scams. The Speaker spent 15 minutes trying to cool tempers.

RJD MLA Abdul Bari Siddiqui said the ruling party had a greater responsibility in running the House. Road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav said the RJD MLAs started it. "The House will run according to rules," he said.

BJP MLA Nitin Navin lodged a case against Tej Pratap Yadav at the nearby Sachivalaya police station over the threat.

The only time there was a light moment was when senior RJD MLA Abdul Bari Siddiqui expressed dissatisfaction over a reply given by education minister Krishnandan Verma. "The minister should be told to read the question carefully and then reply," Siddiqui said. The minister, who was earlier with the RJD, said he had always considered Siddiqui his guru (teacher). "It appears he did not do his job well ," the minister said, sending peels of laughter across the House.