Bhubaneswar: A day after the Odisha Assembly was adjourned sine die, 20 days ahead of schedule, Opposition BJP MLAs on Saturday met Governor Ganeshi Lal and strongly protested the decision of Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro.
Lodging their protest and presenting a list of demands to the Governor, the BJP complained that the Opposition was not allowed to discuss issues of utmost public interest in the Winter Session.
The Opposition had accorded top priority to a discussion on the Mamita Meher murder case and deteriorating law and order situation in the state but it was not allowed, the BJP complained.
After 10 days of relentless and tireless protests by the Opposition over the Mamita murder case, the Speaker on Friday adjourned the Assembly sine die.
BJP leader and Deputy Leader of Opposition Bishnu Sethi said that the Speaker’s decision has created a Constitutional crisis.
The BJP complained to the Governor that the Speaker was not running the House in an impartial manner and termed his decision to adjourn the Winter Session sine die as “undemocratic” and “unconstitutional”.
According to Article 174 of the Constitution, 60 working days over three House sessions have been set aside to discuss matters of public interest, the BJP said.
The party added that this was also mentioned in Section 11 of the rules of procedures and conduct of business in the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
The BJP said that in the last three years, the Odisha Assembly was convened for only eight sessions and the House conducted business for only 112 working days, instead of the stipulated nine sessions and 180 working days. The party said that it was disappointing that several House sessions were terminated before schedule.
Hitting out at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the BJP said that while he was travelling across the state and attending various programmes, it was unfortunate that he had not attended the Odisha Assembly for two years.
“When questions are being raised on the law and order situation in the state, the CM, who is also the state Home Minister, is attending programmes in the city but not coming to the House to reply. The Speaking is also not asking him to be present in the House. This is shameful and an insult to the people of the state,” the BJP said.
The BJP urged the Governor to intervene and ask the Speaker to run the House impartially as well as ask the CM to be present in the House.
“From Day One, we have been demanding a CBI probe into the Mamita Meher case. The BJD-led state government is shielding Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra and asking the police to go after Opposition protesters,” it said.
