Legislators of the ruling Biju Janata Dal created ruckus in Odisha Assembly on Friday leading to adjournment of the House till post-lunch session, even as the Opposition continued their demand for a discussion on the vigilance case against former Director General of Police Prakash Mishra.
As soon as the House assembled for the day, the BJD legislators rushed towards the Opposition benches and caught hold of Opposition Chief Whip Taraprasad Bahinipati and tried to prevent him from displaying a banner.
The Congress legislators were protesting from their seats with banners in their hands when the BJD legislators snatched them away in an attempt to foil their protest.
Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the proceedings till 3 p.m. amid noisy scenes.
The Congress legislators, including Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra, staged a dharna under the Speaker’s podium when the House reassembled at 3 p.m. demanding an apology from the leader of the House Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the unruly behaviour of the BJD members.
The Speaker, who again adjourned the proceedings till 5.20 p.m., called an all party meeting to resolve the deadlock. The Congress members, however, did not attend the meeting. Opposition BJP also criticised the BJD legislators for their unruly behaviour.
When the House reassembled at 5.20 pm, Mr. Bahinipati tried to break the microphone on the Speaker’s podium when Mr. Patnaik came to make a statement on the incident in Komna police station area in Nuapada district. The Speaker adjourned the proceedings till Saturday after Mr. Patnaik made his statement. The Chief Minister informed the House that four Special Operation Group jawans have been arrested in connection with death of Chittaranjan Sahu, a local youth, following the recovery of the body. The jawans had been placed under suspension and the local Judicial Magistrate will conduct an inquiry into the alleged murder of the youth by the jawans, Mr. Patnaik added.