Speaker Surama Padhy has suspended 12 Congress MLAs for seven working days due to their disruptive actions, which included ringing bells, flutes, cymbals, and drums in the Assembly.
This suspension affects 12 out of 14 Congress MLAs, with action also taken against the leader of the legislative party, Ramachandra Kadam. The two MLAs who were not suspended are Tara Prasad Bahinipati and Ramesh Jena.
Previously, Tara Bahinipati was suspended for seven days. Ramesh Jena was not suspended, apparently because he was not actively participating in the Congress protest.
The Speaker suspended MLA leader Ramachandra Kadam for seven days for leading the demonstration. This action took place during the afternoon session on Tuesday.
The following Congress MLAs were suspended for seven working days: Ramachandra Kadam, Dr. CS Raazen Ekka, Sophia Firdous, Sagar Charan Das, Mangu Khila, Satyajit Gamango, Ashok Kumar Das, Dasarathai Gamango, Nilamadhab Hikka, Kadraka Appala Swamy, Pabitra Saunta, and Prafulla Chandra Pradhan.
On Tuesday, the morning session of the Assembly could not proceed due to the Congress MLAs’ bell-ringing protest. Speaker Surama Padhy informed the MLAs during the question-and-answer session about the Deputy Speaker’s ruling, which prohibited ringing bells, cymbals, gini, and mahuri inside the House. She urged them to return to their seats and cooperate with the Assembly’s work, but they did not comply. Consequently, the House was adjourned five times until 4 PM.
When the House reconvened at 4 PM, Government Chief Vigilance Officer Saroj Kumar Pradhan introduced a motion for action against the 12 Congress MLAs involved in the protest. The Speaker accepted the motion through a voice vote, leading to the suspension of the 12 MLAs for seven working days. Notably, this is a rare occurrence where 12 out of 14 opposition MLAs have been suspended for an extended period.
Following the Speaker’s decision, the Congress MLAs chose not to leave the House in protest. They were seen sitting in the middle of the House, asserting that they would continue their protest until the suspension decision was revoked. Despite the suspension, the protest inside the House continued without further incidents.
The budget session is scheduled to continue until April 5, 2025. The suspension of 12 out of 14 legislators marks an unusual and significant development in the Assembly’s history.
