Jaipur, Feb 4 : A heated exchange erupted in the Rajasthan Assembly on Wednesday during Question Hour over a query related to homeless families in Bharatpur, leading to sharp arguments between ministers and the opposition.

The controversy began after Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) MLA Subhash Garg asked about the number of homeless families in Bharatpur and the families eligible under the Prime Ministerâ??s Housing Scheme (PM Awas Yojana).

Responding to the question, Urban Development and Housing (UDH) Minister Jhabar Singh Kharra said that if details of landless families were required, a report would be obtained from the District Collector and provided to the House. Dissatisfied with the reply, Subhash Garg insisted that the minister first disclose the exact number of homeless families.

As the minister began explaining the eligibility criteria of the PM Awas Yojana, Garg objected, asking whether the Homeless Policy-2022 included a provision for conducting a survey of homeless families.

â??I am asking for a clear yes or no answer,â?? Garg said.

The issue soon escalated into a confrontation between Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel and Leader of Opposition Tikaram Juli.

Taking a dig at two ministers standing up during the UDH Ministerâ??s reply, Juli remarked, â??There is no need for lawyers here.â??

In response, Patel said Juli should ask questions instead of making speeches.

Juli shot back, saying he was merely stating facts and was unfairly being accused of giving a speech.

Juli later said the Parliamentary Affairs Minister was too hasty and had misunderstood the question.

â??The issue is simple -- when will houses be provided to those who do not have them?â?? he said, adding that the ministerâ??s reply was incorrect, which was why he had raised questions about the criteria of the Homeless Policy introduced in 2022.

As the argument intensified, Industry Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore intervened, stating that it's not googly that you will be directly hit and that the UDH Minister was fully prepared to answer both parts related to homelessness and the PM Awas Yojana.

When the opposition objected to his intervention, the Speaker clarified that Rathore had been permitted to speak.

The House witnessed loud exchanges and uproar as ministers and opposition members sparred over the issue, forcing the Speaker to repeatedly intervene to restore order.

Earlier during Question Hour, Revenue Minister Hemant Meena also faced criticism for failing to give a clear response to a question on whether existing roads would be recorded as public roads in revenue records. The Speaker asked the minister to give a direct yes or no answer after he cited rules and circulars without clarity.

/IANS