Bhubaneswar: Odisha Assembly was adjourned twice Friday amid a ruckus over the proposed name change of Ravenshaw University with opposition BJD and Congress members demanding the withdrawal of a police case against a sitting MLA.
The issue was raised during Zero Hour, a day after police booked three opposition BJD leaders including sitting MLA Byomkesh Roy following a complaint by a student at Malgodown police station.
The student alleged that Roy and others had threatened him with weapons during a torch rally protesting the proposed name change of Ravenshaw University, suggested by BJP leader and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during his visit to Cuttack August 31.
During the session, members from both parties stormed the well of the House, chanting slogans against the BJP government besides accusing it of attempting to suppress opposition voices and labeled the police action against Roy as “politically motivated” and a case of vendetta politics.
In his defence, Roy said he had visited Ravenshaw University at the invitation of some students and joined the torch rally, but never entered the campus. The rally was held from Clock Chowk to College Square and Roy claimed that he was outside the varsity gate.
“As the BJP often used CBI and ED against political opponents, here also the state government framed charges against me to take political revenge,” Roy said.
Roy was supported by senior member Ganeswar Behera of BJD who strongly condemned police action and said this was beginning of the vendetta politics of BJP in Odisha.
“The allegations against the MLA are false, fabricated and politically motivated. It is unfortunate and will not be tolerated,” he said, adding that the people who are unaware of history are demanding name change of Ravenshaw University.
Behera said Odisha’s eminent writer and social reformer Fakir Mohan Senapati in his writings had praised Thomas Edward Ravenshaw, the then commissioner in-charge of Odisha during British Rule in 1865.
BJP MLA Irasish Acharya, however, defended Pradhan’s idea of name change and alleged that Ravenshaw was responsible for the death of millions of people during the Great Odisha Famine in 1966.
“As a ruler, Ravenshaw should be held responsible for death of so many people. Instead of helping the people, Ravenshaw went on a 70 days leave during the famine,” the BJP MLA said justifying the idea of changing the varsity’s name.
Unable to run the House, Speaker Surama Padhy first adjourned the House till 12.30 PM. When the House reassembled after the break, the Congress members also joined the BJD and raised slogans against the BJP government demanding a statement from the state government on the row. As the din continued, Padhy adjourned proceedings till 4pm.
PTI