Bhubaneswar: The fifth day of the Odisha Assembly session on Tuesday descended into chaos as opposition parties BJD and Congress staged protests during the Question Hour, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House till 4 pm.
As the House convened at 10.30 am for the Question Hour, BJD members rushed into the well holding placards with slogans such as “Mohan Sarkar Down Down” and “BJP Yethi Sasana Re Panchayat Abastha Bipadare,” accusing the BJP-led government of undermining the powers of the three-tier panchayat functionaries and favoring bureaucratic control.
Simultaneously, Congress MLAs also joined the agitation, displaying placards with slogans like “BJD And BJP Bhai Bhai” and waving posters alleging a secret alliance between the two parties.
Speaker Surama Padhy repeatedly appealed to the protesting members to return to their seats and cooperate, but her requests fell on deaf ears. With the disruptions continuing, she finally adjourned the proceedings till 4 pm.
“I request all members once again to return to their respective seats. Experienced members understand the importance of the Question Hour and I urge everyone to cooperate,” said the Speaker before announcing the adjournment.
Due to the protests, the first half of the day’s proceedings lasted barely 20 minutes.
