[In Pics] High Drama In Odisha Assembly; ‘Role Karu Thili…’ & Other Quotable Quotes

Bhubaneswar: High drama by the Opposition BJP and Congress has dominated the Odisha Assembly Winter Session, which began on December 1. Every day, the Opposition is protesting. And every day, it’s a new way of protest. This has kept the ruling party guessing: What will they do tomorrow? Odisha Bytes captures the high drama in these photos and quotes — from Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati, who has hogged the most limelight by dressing as a priest and sprinkling “Ganga pani-tulasi pani-gaumutra’ in the House to BJP MLAs posting a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

‘Enacted in drama as a kid. This is not drama’

“I used to take part in drama as a child. ‘Role karu thili…’ (Performed roles…). But not anymore,” said Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati — who came to the House dressed as a priest on December 4 — when a reporter said the Opposition accused him of resorting to drama.

‘CM in slumber like Kumbhkaran’

“(CM) Naveen Patnaik is in deep slumber like Kumbhkaran. The number of Dhritarashtras and Duryodhans in Odisha is rising. CM has turned deaf ears to all that is happening around him, that’s why we are beating gongs to wake him up,” Bishnu Sethi, Deputy Leader of Opposition.

‘May Lord Jagannath help the CM see reason’

On Tuesday, BJP MLAs performed puja in front of a photograph of Lord Jagannath to the beating of ‘ghantas’ and distributed ‘prasad’. The BJP said they prayed to the Lord to help Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik see reason.

Parikrama

On Tuesday, Congress MLAs did a ‘parikrama’ of the Assembly demanding Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra’s ouster. “We are holding the ‘parikrama’ so that the people of Odisha know how the Treasury Bench is stalling the House,” said Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja.

Posting letter to CM

Opposition BJP MLAs on Monday marched from the Assembly to the Chief Post Master General (CPMG)’s office here to post a letter to the CM. “He doesn’t attend the House, that’s why we decided to write a letter and post it to him. Let him come to the House and reply,” a BJP legislator said. “Women of Odisha today are feeling as unsafe under the Naveen government as they felt under the JB Patnaik government,” the BJP MLAs said in the letter.

Ganga Jal, Gaumutra, Ghantas, Ghantis

On December 4, Bahinipati arrived in the House dressed as a priest. To chants of ‘Om Shanti’ and beating of ‘ghantas’ and ‘ghantis’ by Opposition members, Bahinipati went around the House, sprinkling holy water on members with a leaf. He was carrying the holy water in a ‘kalasha’ (brass container).

He later told newspersons that he sprinkled “Ganga pani, tulasi pani and gaumutra’ to make the House “pure” as it has become “impure because of Mishra’s presence”.

On Tuesday again, Opposition members trooped into the Well of the House beating ‘ghantas’ and ‘ghantis’. In a counter, ruling BJD MLAs started sprinkling Ganga water on them so that “good sense prevailed over the Opposition”.

Assembly gate locked

On December 1, Congress MLAs Bahinipati, Mohammed Moquim, Santosh Singh Saluja, Suresh Routray and others staged protest at the entrance of the Assembly in a bid to prevent Mishra from entering the House.

The Congress MLAs also locked another gate to ensure the minister cannot enter the House. However, Assembly secretariat staff later broke the lock.