Odisha assembly adjourned several times, all-party meeting convened

Opposition BJD and Congress legislators created a ruckus in the Odisha assembly on Monday, 10 March, over a controversial remark by a BJP MLA and alleged rising crimes against women in the state, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House several times.

BJD members demanded a statement from chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi over BJP legislator Jay Narayan Mishra’s remark referring to the merger of Koshala with Odisha in 1936, while the Congress MLAs agitated over the alleged increase in the crimes against women in the state.

Addressing an official function in Sambalpur on 8 March, Mishra — also a former minister — courted controversy with his remark that people of the western region, earlier known as Koshala, were neglected as the coastal districts (Utkal area) enjoyed benefits.

Mishra had said that Odisha was formed with the merger of Utkal, Kalinga and Koshala regions in 1936. He also said it was a “historical mistake” to get Koshala merged with Odisha.

The House witnessed uproarious scenes after the assembly paid homage to former minister Ananta Charan Das, who died on Sunday, 9 March.

Holding placards and shouting slogans, the opposition members trooped into the well of the House.

While the BJD members raised slogans from the well, senior Congress member Taraprasad Bahinipati was seen climbing onto the Speaker’s podium.

Unable to run the proceedings, Speaker Surama Padhy first adjourned the House from 10:43 a.m. to 12:09 p.m and later from 12:22 p.m. to 1 p.m., and again from 1:10 p.m. to 4 p.m.

When the House reassembled at 4 p.m., the opposition members continued their agitation, following which the Speaker convened an all-party meeting to bring normalcy to the House.

Question hour, zero hour and an adjournment motion discussion scheduled for the day were washed away due to ongoing agitation by the opposition members.

Following the adjournment, the agitating BJD members staged a sit-in on the assembly premises.

Eight-time MLA and former BJD minister R.P. Swain claimed, “Mishra’s statement was aimed to divide Odisha. The BJP came to power with the slogan of ‘Odia Asmita’ (pride). Is this ‘Odia Asmita’?

The Congress MLAs also held a dharna near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the assembly premises.

Treasury bench member Babu Singh said, “The opposition has been disrupting the Question Hour, Zero Hour and discussion under adjournment motion. We are ready to discuss the alleged disrespect to Biju Babu in the House. But, the opposition has stalled the proceedings by agitation.”

Asked whether he and the BJP support Mishra’s controversial statement, Singh said it could be his personal opinion.

“The BJP does not support any statement or remark which is against the interest of Odisha,” he said, adding that the party's state unit president or chief minister may speak more on Mishra’s statement.

He was not present in the House on the day.