Bhubaneswar: A Congress delegation on Saturday met Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati here over the suspension of the party’s MLAs from the state Assembly.
The delegation led by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das and senior party leaders, Niranjan Patnaik, Jayadev Jena, and Srikant Jena, and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Ram Chandra Kadam, also raised the issue of ‘rise’ in crimes against the women in the state.
“All 14 MLAs of the Congress party were suspended from the Assembly in an undemocratic manner. The MLAs were pressing for a House committee to probe the rise in crimes against women in the state since the BJP government came to power in the state. We have sought the Governor’s intervention in this regard and he has assured us to look into the issue,” said Jena, a former Union Minister.
Besides, the Congress delegation urged the Governor for immediate appointment of Odisha State Commission for Women chairperson. “The women commission has been functioning without a chairperson for the last several months. We have urged the Governor to take steps to fill the vacant post at the earliest,” Jena added.
In November last year, the Odisha government removed Minati Behera as chairperson of state’s women commission over unsatisfactory performance.
Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said the Congress party leaders may soon meet President Droupadi Murmu to seek justice for the suspended legislators. “We have been elected by the people. It is our responsibility to raise their issues in the Assembly but have been barred from entering its premises. We have taken this up with the Governor. We are also planning to meet the President to apprise her of the situation,” the five-time Congress MLA said.
TWO LEGISLATORS FALL SICK DURING PROTEST
Earlier in the day, Kadam and party MLA Ashok Das fell sick on Saturday while staging a protest for nearly 3 hours under intense heat in front of gate number 3 the Odisha Assembly building. Doctors were called to check on the two legislators, who were then rushed to Capital Hospital for treatment.
Kadam and Das were among 14 Congress MLAs suspended from the Assembly on March 25 and 26 for seven days for ‘unruly behaviour’ as they continued to beat gongs on the floor of the House for over 12 days, demanding formation of a House Committee to inquire into the crimes against women that took place in the last eight months.
According to a party official, they were rushed to Capital Hospital for treatment. Kadam and Das were protesting in front of gate number 3 of the Assembly building after being refused entry to the premises. Kadam said that they were denied entry into the Assembly premises by security personnel while trying to stage a sit-in near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the premises. “We know that the Speaker has suspended us from the House. But, we have every right to enter the Assembly premises. However, we have been denied entry to stage a sit-in near the Mahatma Gandhi statue, which is illegal and undemocratic,” Kadam said.
Notably, Das, several party MLAs and over 30 leaders have been booked for their alleged involvement in Thursday’s violent protest at Mahatma Gandhi Marg here. The confrontation had resulted in injuries to more than 30 people, including 12 police personnel. The incident occurred when police blocked Congress members from proceeding towards the assembly during its Vidhan Sabha gherao programme.
