Bhubaneswar: The first day of the winter session of the Odisha Assembly began with adjournment following an uproar by the Opposition Congress members.
As soon as the members of the House offered their condolence to the late MLAs, CRPF personnel and a Doordarshan cameraman and offered a one-minute silence, leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra requested Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat to initiate a discussion on the issues of the farmers on the basis of the adjournment motion, which he accepted.
But the Speaker, while rejecting the request, announced the commencement of the question-hour session. At this, irate Congress members rushed to the well of the House and shouted slogans against the government demanding a discussion on several issues of the farmers relating to the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy and the ongoing agitation by the Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS). Unable to run the proceedings due to the uproar, the Speaker Adjourned the House till 12.14 pm.
Talking to mediapersons after the adjournment of the House, the leader of the Opposition said the Congress had urged the Speaker to cancel the question-hour session and initiate discussion on the issues of the farmers considering its significance. He also said that the state government successfully foiled the agitation of the NNKS in gross violation of the democratic norms.
Reacting to the uproar in the House, BJD spokesperson Samir Dash, said since the Speaker had accepted the adjournment motion notice of the Congress, the issue was to be discussed after the question hour session. “The people of Odisha, who have rejected the Congress for its unruly behaviour, will not tolerate their activities in the House,” he pointed out.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister and leader of the House Naveen Patnaik had brought a motion to offer condolences to the families of the former government deputy chief whip Prasanna Kumar Pal, ex-MLA Banshidhar Sahu, ex-Rifleman, 29 Battalion, Assam Rifles, ex-driver, CRPF Braja Mohan Behera and ex cameraman of Doordarshan Achyutananda Sahu.
The motion was accepted by the Speaker as well as the leader of the Opposition and leader of the BJP legislature party, K.V. Singhdeo.
