The HRD Minister addressed Dr. Bose directly with her finger pointed at him while replying to a debate in the Lok Sabha.

The gloves were clearly off in the Lok Sabha on Monday as Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani went in for a direct face-off with Trinamool Congress member and historian Sugata Bose.

Evidently smarting from his criticism of her Ministry’s functioning over the past 11 months during the discussion on the Demand for Grants for HRD, she addressed Dr. Bose directly with her finger pointed at him while replying to the debate.

This agitated the Trinamool Congress members and party senior Saugata Roy intervened.

“The way she raised her finger at an eminent historian like Prof. Sugata Bose is just not acceptable in the Lok Sabha. As an old-time member, I would like to submit that a Minister should not point a finger and ask a member, that too an eminent historian like Prof. Sugata Bose, to sit down.’’

He also asked her to express regret for her behaviour towards Prof. Bose. Ms. Irani hit back saying, “there is no question of an apology to him,’’ pointing out that she had patiently heard him out on Friday, despite the aspersions made and his snide remarks.

According to Prof. Bose, he was merely quoting the Parliamentary Standing Committee report when he said the Ministry found itself helpless in the face of budgetary cuts.

“I also made a plea for a little modicum of respect for the eminent scientists in our country and our professors and teachers. I think, the whole country today has seen the kind of respect that is shown to professors and scholars by this Government.’’

Further, he pointed out that the Minister’s reply was more a condemnation of the previous UPA Government rather than a vision for the future.

In the running war of words, Ms. Irani interrupted him and others who flagged his eminence as a historian to say that his stature does not allow him to mislead the House.

As the heated discussion wound to a close, the Minister sought to assure the House that the Centre “irrespective of my aggression or combative position today’’ will work with States for improving the education system of the country.