Bhubaneswar: The opposition BJD and Congress created noisy scenes in the Odisha Assembly over the Chikiti Hooch tragedy in Ganjam district for the fourth consecutive day on Friday.
Unable to run the House amid heavy pandemonium, Speaker Surama Padhy adjourned the House till 11.30 AM.
As soon as the House assembled for the Question Hour, Opposition members stormed into the well and raised slogans demanding the resignation of Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan over the hooch tragedy.
Several BJD MLAs including Parsuram Dhada, Jogesh Singh, Biswa Mallik and Romanch Ranjan Biswal attempted to climb atop the Speaker’s podium while other Opposition members created noise in the well.
BJD MLAs demanded the dismissal of Excise Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan following the death of two persons due to the consumption of hooch in Chikiti area of Ganjam district.
Opposition Chief Whip Pramilla Mallik said “The members of the ruling party have hand-in-gloves with illicit liquor traders. They will not act against them. They believe in words only not in action. We demand the Excise Minister to resign on moral grounds.”
In response to the Opposition, Chikiti MLA (BJP) Manoranjan Dyan Samantara said that the Opposition members don’t know how to respect women Speaker. This is a condemnable act. The Opposition is afraid to face the truth. They are hesitating to discuss the matter in the House,” he said.
