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Puri: Unable to conduct House proceedings, Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro may have adjourned the Odisha Assembly sine die, but that did not affect Opposition protests over the Mamita Meher murder case a day after.
BJP MLAs on Saturday took their protest to Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal and the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri, where party MLAs prostrated in front of the temple, praying to the Lord so that “good sense prevailed over Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik” and for protecting the people of the state.
High drama marked Opposition protests over the Mamita Meher murder case in the Odisha Assembly during the brief 10-day Winter Session — from Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati, who hogged the limelight by dressing as a priest and sprinkling “Ganga pani-tulasi pani-gaumutra’ in the House to BJP MLAs posting a letter to the CM.
On December 7, 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 the CM see reason.
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 Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra’s presence”.
On Saturday, BJP leader and Deputy Leader of Opposition Bishnu Sethi said, “In Naveen’s rule, neither the House could run nor any discussion took place on the Mamita Meher murder and other important issues. The CM can visit stadium to watch hockey matches but he cannot attend the House. We prayed to Lord Jagannath to drill good sense into the CM.”
The BJP said that neither the Speaker was running the House impartially nor the CM was attending it to reply on key issues, was ignoring Opposition demands and not taking the House into confidence, which was unconstitutional and undemocratic.
