Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly witnessed continued turbulence on Monday as opposition members from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Indian National Congress (INC) disrupted proceedings over alleged irregularities in paddy procurement and the controversy surrounding the so-called Epstein files.
Soon after Question Hour commenced at 10.30 am, BJD legislators trooped into the Well of the House, holding placards and raising slogans against the BJP-led state government. They accused the administration of gross mismanagement at mandis across Odisha, claiming that farmers were facing severe hardship due to delays in lifting paddy stocks and non-payment of the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The party alleged that the government had failed to honour its commitments to cultivators, leaving them in distress during the procurement season.
Congress members joined the uproar, pressing for a discussion on the Epstein files and demanding the resignation of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri over the alleged mention of his name in connection with the issue. They also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drawing sharp objections from BJP legislators, who countered that neither the Prime Minister nor the Union Minister were members of the state Assembly and should not be targeted in the House.
Despite repeated appeals from Speaker Surama Padhy urging members to return to their seats and allow the House to function, the protests continued unabated. The persistent sloganeering forced the Speaker to adjourn proceedings multiple times before finally suspending the House until 4 pm.
In an effort to break the impasse, the Speaker convened an all-party meeting, as the stalemate has persisted since the commencement of the Budget Session on February 17.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, senior BJD leader Dibya Shankar Mishra criticised the government for what he described as a breakdown of democratic functioning. He announced that the BJD would intensify its agitation and organise a major protest in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday over farmers’ issues.
Expressing concern over the plight of cultivators, Mishra said rising input costs had not been matched by adequate government support. He alleged that the promise of providing 100 units of free electricity to farmers remained unfulfilled and claimed that although the government had announced an increase in MSP, farmers were not receiving the declared benefits.
He further demanded loan waivers, removal of the 150-quintal procurement cap, and guaranteed purchase of surplus paddy. “What about the surplus produce with farmers? The government must ensure procurement of all paddy,” he asserted.
With both sides refusing to relent, the Assembly once again remained paralysed, underscoring the deepening confrontation between the treasury benches and the opposition during the ongoing Budget Session.
