Suspended Congress MLAs were denied entry into the Odisha Assembly premises on Saturday morning, despite rules permitting their presence.
Police stopped the MLAs at the outer gates, citing “instructions received,” but refused to disclose the source of these directives.
Congress Legislature Party leader Ramchandra Kadam and Deputy Leader Ashok Das staged a sit-in protest at the gates, while MLA Pavitra Saunta left after being stopped. Kadam criticized the move as undemocratic and emphasized their right to be present in the Assembly premises, even if suspended.
The Speaker had suspended all 14 Congress MLAs for seven working days due to disruptive behavior. However, suspended MLAs are allowed to stage protests under the Gandhi statue within the premises—a right denied by the police.
Kadam announced plans to report the incident to the Governor and revealed that the Congress Legislature Party had sought an appointment with the Governor since Friday but had not received a response.
