The passions ran high in the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia Wednesday after the remarks by opposition MP Levon Kocharyan and NA deputy speaker Hakob Arshakyan’s response to those remarks.

An argument and brawl ensued between the MPs.

Levon Kocharyan, responding to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statement in his speech that wherever they go to a meeting, people ask why ex-President Robert Kocharyan—who is Levon Kocharyan’s father—is not yet under arrest, said: “But when we go to a meeting with people, do you know what they say? They ask ‘why are these traitors without a homeland still in power?’ Nikol Pashinyan does not appear to be in such convulsions when they call him a Turk, a traitor, but the issue of corruption worries him quite a lot.”

Levon Kocharyan referred to Nikol Pashinyan’s “nervous, hysterical movements, threats” during the NA question and answer session with the government last week.

And Hakob Arshakyan responded from the rostrum: “And at the meeting with us they say that your father is a Turk, they also give his name. And they tell us ‘they are traitors without a homeland, they abandoned Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)], they abandoned Artsakh with their families during a state of war, they have not done a single thing for Karabakh, the Karabakh people.’ They say ‘they are traitors without a homeland.’ But we do not say that from this rostrum. We maintain the boundaries of correctness.”

And when Levon Kocharyan responded from his seat, Arshakyan said: “Sit down and don’t talk! Was I saying anything while you were speaking? I will now throw you out of the [NA sessions] hall because you are disrupting my speech, Levon. Sit down quietly and lower your finger! I didn't like your speech, but I... Sit down! Listen, you can't interrupt the one who is speaking from here. Sit down, calm down. [Opposition MP] Garnik Danielyan, sit down! Levon Kocharyan, leave the  hall!"

After that, a commotion began and the lawmakers started fighting.

Arshakyan, who was at the rostrum, was unable to calm the MPs down.

And once the lawmakers calmed down, Hakob Arshakyan continued his speech.