Bhubaneswar: Odisha Assembly proceedings were disrupted Thursday as the Opposition persisted in its demand for the resignation of Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling over the death of 12 patients in a fire at a state-run hospital in Cuttack March 16.
The protesting Opposition members of both the BJD and the Congress also held a memorial event near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the assembly premises, marking the 11th day rituals of the deceased persons.
The Opposition MLAs paid floral tributes to placards bearing the names of the 12 patients.
As soon as the House assembled for Question Hour at 10.30 am, the Opposition members trooped into the Well and raised anti-government slogans and displayed placards. Some of the agitating MLAs were also seen creating a ruckus near the Speaker’s podium, disrupting the proceedings.
Speaker Surama Padhy made an appeal to the members to cooperate and allow her to run the Question Hour. However, the pitch of the sloganeering increased, resulting in chaos.
Unable to run the House, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings till 11.30 am. Though she had earlier convened at least four all-party meetings to resolve the matter, none of those succeeded in ending the stalemate, which has been continuing in the assembly for the last eight days.
When the House reassembled at 11.30 am, a similar situation prevailed during the Zero Hour. The Opposition members later staged a walkout as the Speaker allowed treasury bench members to present their views amid din.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida came down heavily on the Opposition and accused it of working against public interest by disrupting the proceedings.
Later, the Speaker adjourned the House till 10.30 am Monday.
In a notice, government chief whip Saroj Kumar Pradhan urged the Speaker to adjourn the House for the rest of Thursday in view of Lord Lingaraj’s Ashoka Astami festival, a local holiday in Bhubaneswar.
The Speaker said that the House will reassemble Monday as Friday is Shreeram Navami, while Saturday and Sunday are holidays.
Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik said the BJD will continue its agitation in the House until the health minister resigns, taking moral responsibility for the deaths of the 12 patients at the government-run hospital.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rama Chandra Kadam also came down heavily on the state’s BJP government and accused it of failing to protect the lives of patients even at hospitals.
“We will continue our stir in the House till the minister resigns,” Kadam said.
The Opposition observed the 11th day rituals on the assembly premises days after BJD and Congress MLAs staged a protest wearing black T-shirts and holding a mock funeral procession as a mark of protest March 18.
The Opposition has also termed Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi “weak” and Mahaling as “strong”.
“Let the CM prove that he is strong by dismissing the health minister from the cabinet on moral grounds,” Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik said.
Majhi, while participating in a debate Wednesday evening, rejected the Opposition statement and said, “The recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections and the Nuapada by-poll results have proved who is strong and who is weak. The Opposition is making a drama over the tragedy.”
BJP MLA Tankadhar Tripathy rejected the Opposition’s demand for the health minister’s resignation.
“Why should the minister resign? The government has taken immediate measures, placed four officers under suspension and transferred some others linked to hospital affairs. A high-level probe is underway, and action will be taken as per the findings,” Tripathy said.
