Congress MLAs Observe Black Day, Stall Odisha Assembly Over Rahul Gandhi’s Disqualification As MP

Bhubaneswar: Intensifying their protest against disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as Lok Sabha member, Congress legislators created an uproar in Odisha Assembly on Monday, paralysing proceedings in the House.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, Congress members trooped into the well and created ruckus, terming disqualification of their leader from Parliament as ‘murder’ of democracy.

Wearing black clothes and black caps, the Congress lawmakers created uproarious scenes in the House during question hour. Finding it difficult to conduct business, Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha adjourned the House till 4 pm.

Earlier, the opposition legislators marched to the Assembly building raising slogans against Rahul’s disqualification, dubbing the act as ‘murder’ of democracy. They shouted that ‘dictatorship’ will not be tolerated in the country.

Speaking to reporters outside the House, senior party leader and MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati alleged that democracy has been murdered. “We are observing black day as a mark of protest. Party MLAs are wearing black clothes and caps to register our protest,” the Jeypore MLA said.

Rubbishing the allegation made by Congress MLAs, Leader of Opposition (LoP) of BJP Jayanarayan Mishra said the action against Rahul Gandhi has been taken in accordance with law. “How can they call it murder of democracy,” he said.

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, representing Wayanad constituency in Kerala, was disqualified from Lok Sabha on Friday, a day after his conviction in a defamation case by a court in Surat in Gujarat.

The court sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail in the defamation case over his “Modi surname” remarks at a 2019 poll rally in Karnataka.

Meanwhile, the country-wide protest by Congress on the issue entered the second day today.