The Odisha Assembly witnessed a stormy debate during the discussion on expenditure demands of the Home and General Administration Department.
The session featured sharp exchanges between the ruling BJP and the opposition BJD, while Congress highlighted rising atrocities against tribals and Dalits.
Opening the debate, BJD legislator Byomkesh Ray accused the Home Department of failing to maintain law and order. He noted that people registered over two lakh cases in the past year and alleged that crimes against women increased across the state. Moreover, Ray argued that arrests alone do not solve problems and demanded exemplary police action to deter offenders. He cited recent incidents, including the Bolangir case and the Soumyashree suicide, to underline police inefficiency.
BJD legislators attacked the BJP by linking leaders to the SI exam scam and other crimes. They cited the Soumyashree suicide, the murder of a woman constable, and the Naba Das case to highlight police failures. In the Puri stampede case, only junior staff faced action. They stressed that 17 exams were cancelled in 17 months, police stations remain under political control, and three riots occurred in the past 18 months.
Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam joined the attack and stated that atrocities against tribals and Dalits rise daily. In addition, he criticised the government for failing to protect vulnerable communities and demanded a joint task force along the border areas. Kadam also raised concerns about illegal mining, sand and water loot, and the surge in cybercrime.
BJP legislator Babu Singh responded to opposition charges by accusing BJD leaders of hypocrisy. He recalled an audio clip of a ruling party MLA threatening a police officer and alleged criminal tendencies. Singh mocked the opposition’s remarks as “selling magic ointment” and urged them to fix their own record first. He pointed out that in the BMC officer assault case, five people, including senior leader Jagannath Pradhan, were arrested. Singh questioned whether the former Chief Minister, now opposition leader, ever visited victims’ families during past tragedies. He noted that in cases like Itishree, Pari, Bebina, and Madhabilata, leaders offered only condolences. He also reminded that sexual harassment allegations once surfaced against a minister from their own party. Finally, Singh countered claims about the SI exam scam, saying its roots lay within BJD itself.
The debate ended with both sides trading accusations, reflecting the tense political atmosphere in the Assembly.
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