Bhubaneswar: On the first day of the Odisha Assembly’s Winter Session, Speaker Surama Padhy adjourned the House twice due to disruptions caused by Opposition members protesting over a death linked to the consumption of mango kernel gruel.
The first adjournment took place after the obituary motion, with the Question Hour beginning briefly before being adjourned until 12:25 pm. After a brief resumption, the Question Hour was once again interrupted, leading Speaker Padhy to adjourn the House until 4:00 pm.
Additionally, Opposition parties Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress raised concerns about various issues, including governance, accountability, and public welfare.
During the Question Hour, BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain raised questions about constitutional safeguards. Soon after, Congress leaders intensified their protests, focusing on the issue of deaths caused by the consumption of mango kernels. They held Chief Minister Majhi responsible and demanded his resignation. This led to a heated exchange between the BJP, the ruling party, and the Opposition parties, BJD and Congress, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the session.
Notably, from the beginning of the session, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi introduced an obituary motion and expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of former members of the Assembly. The Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik also conveyed his condolences, along with Congress Legislature Party Leader Ramachandra Kadam and CPI (M) MLA Laxman Munda, who both mourned the loss of the former members. In a show of respect, members of all parties observed a one-minute silence for the departed souls.
