Bhubaneswar: Altogether 12 Congress MLAs were on Tuesday suspended from the Odisha Legislative Assembly for indiscipline for seven days.
Sources said Speaker Surama Padhy placed 12 of the 14 Congress legislators under suspension for seven days over indiscipline and creation of unruly scenes in the House.
The suspension was ordered after a proposal was moved by ruling party chief whip Saroj Pradhan. Following the passage of the motion, the Speaker announced the suspension of the Congress MLAs when the House met in the post-lunch session.
Noisy scenes erupted in the House after the announcement as Congress members started beating gongs as a mark of protest. Amid pandemonium, the House was initially adjourned till 4.19 pm and then for another 15 minutes.
Those suspended included Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam, C S Rajan Ekka, Sofia Firdous, Ashok Das, Mangu Khila, Dasarathi Gamango, Satyajit Gamango, Nilamadhab Hikaka, Sagar Das and Prafulla Pradhan.
However, senior Congress legislators Tara Prasad Bahinipati and Ramesh Jena were not among those suspended from the House proceedings.
The action came after repeated disruptions of proceedings in the House and frequent adjournments, leading to concerns over maintaining order and discipline in the Assembly.
It may be noted that Congress MLAs were seen beating gongs and cymbals to draw the attention of the government towards their demand relating to the safety of women in the state.
The Assembly has been witnessing pandemonium over the last few days with members of opposition Congress and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) creating ruckus in the House while raising various issues, including alleged rise in crimes against women.
