Opposition BJP, Congress stall the question hour business of Odisha Assembly for second day
Bhubaneswar : The question hour of the Odisha Assembly was stalled for the second day today amid protest and uproarious scenes by the Opposition BJP and Congress members.
Both the BJP and the Congress members rushed to the well of the house and disrupted the business protesting on two different issues.
Speaker S N Patro was forced to adjourn the house till 1600hrs in two phases due to the protest by the opposition members.
The house was first adjourned from 1033hrs till 1130hrs and again from 1135 hrs till 1600hrs without transacting any business.
The problem began soon after the house assembled for the day to take up the question hour business at 1030 hrs.
As soon as the question hour began, the Congress members insisted on their demand to declare drought in the state. They trooped into the well and shouted slogans in support of their demand.
Soon after the BJP members carrying posters stormed the well demanding the arrest of Panchayati raj and Law Minister Pratap Jena for his alleged involvement in the Mahanga double murder case.
Former Chairperson of Mahanga Panchayat Samiti Kulamani Baral and his associate Dibya Singh Baral were murdered on January 1 last near Nrutanga village allegedly after they exposed the irregularities in the allotment of PMAY houses in the block.
As the uproar continued, the Speaker first adjourned the house at 1033hrs till 1130hrs and convened an all-party meeting to resolve the issue and conduct the business of the house smoothly.
The house reassembled after the adjournment but there was no change in the situation. Members of both the Opposition parties again rushed to the well and continued their protest.
The agitating members were seen trying to climb up to the Speaker’s podium.
The Speaker was heard requesting the Congress members to take their seats and participate in the proceedings of the house.
He ruled that if required the drought situation would be discussed in the house again but the Congress members did not pay any heed to it and continued their slogan-shouting inside the well of the house.
Realising that the business of the house could no longer be conducted smoothly anymore, the Speaker again adjourned the house at 1135hrs till 1600hrs.
Later, Opposition Chief whip Mohan Majhi told media persons that the name of the Minister was figured in the list of the accused in the FIR lodged by Ramakanth Baral, the son of deceased Kulamani Baral but the Police removed his name from the list of the accused.
He said recently the Salipur JMFC court while adjudicating a case has directed the police to bring the Minister under the purview of investigation.
The BJP leader demanded that the Minister should either resign or be sacked from the council of Minister for a fair probe into the incident.
