The Odisha Legislative Assembly witnessed yet another day of chaos as members of BJD and Congress disrupted proceedings.
The commotion began during the Question Hour, with Congress legislators ringing bells and BJD members displaying placards, leading to multiple adjournments.
Despite repeated appeals from Speaker Surama Padhy and Deputy Speaker Bhawani Shankar Bhoi to restore order, the uproar continued. Congress members protested against alleged issues of women’s safety, while BJD legislators demanded proportional reservations in vocational education for SC/ST and OBC communities.
The assembly session, meant to discuss the state budget, has been repeatedly stalled, drawing criticism from both sides. Government representatives accused the opposition of deliberately obstructing proceedings, while opposition leaders blamed the ruling party for ignoring pressing public concerns.
During the recent assembly session, Congress MLAs created a disturbance by ringing bells, while BJD MLAs disrupted proceedings by displaying placards. Despite Speaker Surama Padhy’s request for silence within the house, the Congress MLAs continued their noise-making. The Speaker addressed the Deputy Speaker’s ruling against the ringing of bells, but this did not deter the opposition.
Due to similar disruptions, the assembly was adjourned for the day and also for the night. Deputy Speaker Bhawani Shankar Bhoi had previously ruled that bells, cymbals, and drums should not be used inside the house. On Tuesday, the Congress MLAs once again entered the chamber carrying bells, cymbals, and drums. As the session began at 10:30 AM, the Congress MLAs moved to the centre of the house, followed by the BJD MLAs.
The Speaker initiated the question-and-answer segment and asked the minister to respond. However, the noise from the bells drowned out any dialogue. In the midst of the chaos, the Speaker requested that the opposition MLAs return to their seats, but they did not comply. As a result, the Speaker first adjourned the house until 11:30 AM, and then extended the adjournment until noon, followed by another adjournment until 1 PM. Deputy Speaker Bhoi then called for an all-party meeting, but no resolution was reached, leading to a final adjournment from 12:46 PM until 4 PM.
After the assembly was suspended, the Congress MLAs gathered at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the premises, continuing their protest with bells and cymbals. While they sat in silence, BJD MLAs occupied the main area of the house, blocking others from entering. The Congress party raised concerns about violence against women, while the BJD demanded proportional reservations for SC/ST and OBC communities in technical education. The assembly’s budget session has faced repeated disruptions.
BJP MLAs Tankadhar Tripathy and Babu Singh told the media that the opposition appears to be intent on preventing the assembly from functioning. They emphasized that, as the assembly operates on the taxes paid by the public, important issues cannot be addressed while proceedings are stalled. The government is willing to discuss all matters, but the opposition’s actions have created a deadlock. They criticized those who have not contributed positively over the past 24 years but are now blaming the new government for the current situation. The public will not forgive the continued disruption of the assembly.
