Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Legislative Assembly was adjourned till 4 pm today after seven minutes of its commencement due to disruptions caused by opposition parties BJD and Congress.
According to reports, the protests began as soon as the question hour started, with opposition members holding placards and posters and raising slogans. The Speaker, Surama Padhy, was forced to adjourn the House in a bid to restore order. The BJD MLAs protested against the state government’s decision to curtail the powers of elected representatives in the Panchayati Raj system and give more authority to bureaucrats.
The BJD has demanded that the government reconsider this decision, claiming it undermines democracy. Meanwhile, the Congress party also staged a protest, alleging that the government is trying to avoid a no-confidence motion.
Speaker Padhy appealed to the members of the House to maintain decorum, but the opposition members were not willing to listen. Following this, the Speaker adjourned the House till 4 pm.
It is pertinent to mention that this session has only seven working days. With four working days already over, including today, only three working days are left.