Bhubaneswar: Odisha Assembly witnessed ruckus Wednesday over certain remarks of Leader of Opposition Jaynaraan Mishra against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Niranjan Pujari and Government Chief Whip Prashanta Kumar Muduli urged Speaker Pramila Mallik to expunge what Mishra said and ensure that it did not go to the press.
At this point the BJP members rushed to the well and shouted slogans. The house soon plunged into a chaotic situation forcing the speaker to adjourn it at 11.43 hrs for ten minutes which was later extended by another 8 minutes.
When the house reassembled after the adjournment both the Parliamentary Affairs Minister and Government Chief Whip insisted on their demand to expunge the remarks made by the leader of Opposition against the Chief Minister.
The Speaker expunged the remarks made by the Leader of Opposition on Chief Minister and said she would examine the privilege notice given by Majhi.
Peeved over the Speaker’s ruling, the BJP members trooped into the well of the house shouted slogans and disrupted the proceedings of the house.
As ruckus prevailed in the house, the Speaker adjourned the house at 1204 till 1600 hrs. The house reassembled at 1600 hours to take up the business but the Opposition BJP members trooped into the well of the house, raised slogans and disrupted the proceedings.
The Opposition Congress members also rushed into the well of the house and sat on dharna near the podium as the party’s legislative leader Narsingha Mishra was not allowed to speak in the house.
Unable to bring the house into order, the Speaker adjourned it at 16.02 for 30 minutes till 16.32 hours and convened an all-party meeting to resolve the impasse.
As the meeting remained inconclusive, the house was further adjourned till 17.02 hours without transacting any business. The house was further adjourned for 15 minutes.
The house reassembled after the adjournment at 17.17 hours and the Speaker allowed some bills to be moved and discussed amidst sloganeering by the opposition inside the well of the house.
The agitated BJP members staged a noisy walkout in protest, went to the Gandhi statue inside the assembly and sat on dharna protesting the ruling of the speaker.
The Congress members also walked out of the house in protest. The bills were then moved and passed in the absence of the Opposition members.
UNI