BJD MLA Moves Privilege Motion Against 2 Media Houses For Reporting LoP’s Statement In Odisha Assembly

Bhubaneswar: BJD MLA Amar Satpathy on Friday moved a breach of privilege motion against a leading English newspaper and a leading TV news channel over airing/publishing news related to Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jayanarayan Mishra’s statement during a motion discussion in Odisha Assembly on February 23.

Speaking to the media, Satpathy said that I have lodged a complaint with the Speaker for the breach of the privilege under 140 of the rules and procedures regarding news reporting on the issue.

According to sources, the Speaker reportedly asked to expunge the name of the 5T secretary, but there was confusion on his direction over ‘Naveen Niwas’. The news was published and aired by several media houses.

Jayanarayan said that Speaker had only asked to expunge the name of the 5T secretary that he had mentioned. “The post remained as it is. The Speaker gave no ruling with regard to the ‘meeting’ at Naveen Niwas. It will be examined whether it amounts to a breach of privilege or not,” he said.

Initiating the debate in the Assembly on a motion on the killing of a cabinet minister, the senior BJP leader alleged that there was a meeting between 5T secretary, BJD organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das and a former minister in Naveen Nivas four days before Gopal Das, who was an ASI, pulled the trigger on Naba Das. “I suspect, the conspiracy to eliminate the minister was hatched in that meeting,” he claimed.

Several ruling BJD members, including some ministers, demanded that ‘such unfounded’ charges should be expunged from the proceedings of the House.