The third day of the Assembly session witnessed chaos and pandemonium. Members of the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress created a significant ruckus in the House. As a result, Speaker Surama Padhy was compelled to adjourn the House till 4 pm after an all-party meeting failed to yield any results.
Stalled Assembly Proceedings
Efforts to resolve the deadlock proved futile, and the Odisha Assembly session remained stalled. The Speaker initially adjourned the House till noon, and later extended the halt till 4 pm. An all-party meeting convened by the Speaker to break the impasse failed to bring about any resolution, leading to a prolonged adjournment.
Unrest in the House
The commotion started right from the beginning of the question hour. BJD members stormed out of the House, followed by Congress members who entered the middle of the House, raising slogans. The unrest forced Speaker Surama Padhi to adjourn the House till 11:30 am in an attempt to restore order.
All-Party Meeting Fails
To resolve the stalemate, Speaker Surama Padhy called an all-party meeting. Key leaders attended, including Opposition Leader Prasanna Acharya, Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik, Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahalinga, and BJP MLA Jayanarayan Mishra. Despite the presence of these influential figures, the meeting failed to yield any positive results.
Criticism of Government
The Opposition has been vocal in its criticism of the Mohan Majhi government. They accused it of shielding the Governor’s son in an assault case involving a government official. This issue has intensified the unrest within the Assembly. The Odisha Assembly witnessed pandemonium over the alleged assault on an Assistant Section Officer (ASO) by the Governor’s son, further fueling the opposition’s outrage.
Incident Details
The incident reportedly took place when BJD members trooped into the well of the House in protest against the alleged assault on ASO Baikuntha Pradhan by Governor’s son Lalit Kumar on July 7. Amid the uproar, BJD MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo climbed the podium of Speaker Surama Padhy and broke the microphone. This dramatic action highlighted the severity of the situation and the level of frustration among the legislators.
House Adjourned
As the Assembly plunged into turmoil, no legislative business could be conducted. Speaker Surama Padhy was left with no choice but to adjourn the House for the day. The House had already been adjourned twice earlier in the day over the same issue. The persistent unrest underscores the deep divisions and unresolved issues within the Assembly, making it challenging to proceed with normal legislative activities.
(With inputs from agencies)
