Bhubaneswar: Members of both the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the opposition parties – BJP and Congress – rushed Tuesday to the well of the Odisha Assembly. They raised slogans against each other forcing Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro to adjourn the proceeding till 4.00pm.
Even before the House assembled for the Question Hour, the members of all the parties were already in the Well. While opposition BJP members beat gongs in the well of the House, the Congress members raised slogans demanding removal and arrest of Minister of State, Home, Dibya Shankar Mishra for his alleged link with the prime accused in the Mamita Meher murder case, Gobinda Sahu.
The ruling BJD members also joined the bandwagon as they sprinkled ‘Ganga Jal’ on the opposition members seeking good sense to prevail upon them and come for the discussion after shunning their egos. This is for the first time that the Treasury Bench members agitated in the Well of the House.
As the gong sound and slogans rent the air in the House, Patro adjourned the proceeding after his repeated appeal to members including the BJD members, to return to their seats failed.
This was for the sixth consecutive day that the proceedings were adjourned after Monday’s all-party meeting convened by the Speaker failed to yield any result.
The Speaker had accepted a notice of the Congress for discussion on admissibility of an adjournment motion in the assembly on the woman teacher’s murder case.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister BK Arukha was scheduled to reply the debate on behalf of the Chief Minister, who is also in charge of Home department. However, the discussion could not be held due to adjournment of the House till 4.00pm.
BJP’s deputy leader in Assembly, BC Sethi said that the saffron party lawmakers beat gongs to awake the Leader of the House and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who the party said is in slumber. “The CM is sleeping in ‘Kumbhakarna’s’ style and the number of ‘Duroydhans’ and ‘Dushasans’ are increasing. The gong sound may awake the CM,” Sethi said when asked reason behind Patnaik’s absence in the House.
“The Chief Minister is going to Kalinga Stadium to attend hockey programmes through the road passing in front of the Assembly and not coming here. Why do you avoid Assembly? Are you involved in the case (Kalahandi),” Sethi asked.
Denouncing the BJP’s gong beating act in the Well of the House, BJD MLA PK Deb described the saffron party as ‘Bharatiya Jatra Party’ and alleged that the opposition party is doing drama keeping an eye on the panchayat elections.
“Both Congress and BJP members are disrupting the proceeding even as lot of vital issues awaits discussion. The farmers have lost grains in the recent cyclone induced rains and people are suffering due to price rise. The House should debate on these issues,” Deb said.
Congress members, who went on a ‘Parikrama’ (making round) of the Assembly building after the House was adjourned, demanded that the MoS, Home should be immediately sacked and arrested for his alleged role in the Kalahandi woman teacher’s murder case.
Congress member SS Saluja said: “No one can find the Treasury Bench members disrupting proceeding of the House. Here in Odisha, the BJD ensured that the House remain paralysed for which its members hit the Well. It is responsibility of the government and the speaker to run the house,” Saluja asserted.
After adjournment of the House, the BJD members sat on a dharna near Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Assembly premises and raised slogans against central negligence towards Odisha and price rise of essential commodities.
