Cong MLAs in black dresses play gongs, flutes in Odisha assembly, cause multiple adjournments

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly Friday witnessed high drama when opposition Congress MLAs, wearing black dresses, played gongs and flutes to press for its demand for a House Committee probe into crimes against women, but the Speaker, finding it not music to the ears, adjourned the assembly multiple times.

While Congress MLAs were seeking the formation of the House Committee to probe into all the crimes against women that took place during the nine months after the BJP came to power, the BJD members protested the government’s alleged act of ignoring the opposition members in the assembly.

As soon as the House assembled for the Question Hour, Congress MLAs trooped into the Well and attempted to climb the Speaker's podium.

Clad in full black dresses, they beat gongs and cymbals and played flutes to draw the attention of Speaker Surama Padhy, seeking a ruling on the formation of a House Committee to probe into crimes against women in the state.

The BJD members also joined the Congress MLAs in the well and raised slogans against the BJP government accusing it of restricting journalists from taking photographs and making videos of the proceedings of the House.

They demanded that the curbs on the scribes be lifted immediately for smooth functioning of the House.

Unable to run the House, the speaker adjourned the proceedings for an hour till 11.30 am. Later, the House was adjourned six more times till 5 PM as both the opposition parties hit the well every time the House reassembled.

In her bid to bring back normalcy, Padhy convened an all-party meeting. However, the issue could not be resolved as Congress members continued to demand formation of a House Committee to probe into the crimes against women across the state during the BJP rule.

However, the House conducted normal business and discussed the vote on the demand for grants to the water resources department after the Congress workers staged a walkout.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi briefed the House on the decision of the Cabinet meeting held on Thursday and also replied to the debate on the water resources department demands.

The House has been rocked by protests on this issue of Congress for the last few days.

Senior Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati, who was suspended for a week during a similar agitation over the issue, returned to the assembly and led the opposition demonstration.

"We will continue to protest inside and outside the assembly over violence against women till a House Committee is formed," Congress legislature party leader Rama Chandra Kadam said.

Bahinipati alleged that the state government was making all efforts to suppress the voice of the opposition in the assembly.

"I was suspended for seven working days for demanding the formation of a House Committee," he said.

Senior BJD member Arun Kumar Sahoo said MLAs of his party protested in the House over the decision to restrict the press from taking pictures and videos of the opposition's demonstration in the assembly.

"This act is against the basics of democracy. The people have the right to know how their representatives raise issues in the House. However, the BJP government has restricted the press from taking pictures and videos of opposition members," he alleged.

BJP member Tankadhar Tripathy blamed the Opposition for stalling the proceedings of the House for no reason.

He said the accused persons in all the crimes against the women have been arrested immediately and the court will pronounce its judgment. Therefore, the Congress should not disturb the proceeding.