The Odisha Congress has announced that its MLAs will not participate in the assembly proceedings on Wednesday. Instead, they will stage a protest under the Gandhi statue in the assembly premises.
This decision comes in response to the suspension of Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati for disorderly conduct, which the party views as an attempt to suppress democracy.
OPCC President Bhakta Charan Das has called an emergency meeting with senior Congress leaders to discuss the situation and decide on further actions. The Congress party is also highlighting issues such as the disappearance of women and children and the government’s lack of a special strategy to protect women.
The PCC President stated that the Speaker, being a woman, should have called an all-party meeting to find a solution. He criticized the government’s handling of the issue, pointing out that 44,823 women and children have gone missing in the past few years, with a significant number of women disappearing in the last eight months. He emphasized that the government should be ashamed and take responsibility for protecting women, rather than remaining silent and issuing a toll-free number.
The Congress MLAs have been protesting for the past three days, demanding answers from the government. Despite the uproar, the assembly continued its proceedings, leading to the suspension of Bahinipati. The PCC President warned that the action taken against Bahinipati would be answered, and such decisions are a suppression of democracy.
On Wednesday, the Congress MLAs will sit in protest under the Mahatma Gandhi statue wearing black bands instead of participating in the assembly proceedings. The PCC President has called for a firm decision to be taken in the emergency meeting with senior leaders. He emphasized that the right of the opposition to speak in the assembly must be respected, and democracy should be upheld.
It is worth mentioning that before the assembly work began on Tuesday, the Congress MLAs protested outside the House. They later created a ruckus in the assembly on the issue of atrocities against women, leading to repeated adjournments and the eventual suspension of Bahinipati.
The Speaker, with the help of the marshal, removed him from the house after he refused to leave, calling the decision ‘unilateral’ and a ‘murder of democracy’.
The Congress party remains determined to make their voices heard and continue their protest under the Gandhi statue on Wednesday.
High Drama in Odisha Assembly: Taraprasad Bahinipati ‘Assaulted’ by BJP MLAs
The Odisha Assembly witnessed unprecedented chaos on Tuesday as the BJP MLAs allegedly assaulted the Congress MLA, Taraprasad Bahinipati.
Following his suspension for seven days over the incident, Congress MLAs staged an overnight protest near the Gandhi statue outside the Assembly.
Bahinipati, who has been vocal against the government, claimed that BJP MLA Jayanarayan Mishra grabbed his collar and other BJP members pushed him during the assembly proceedings. Despite complaining to the Speaker, Bahinipati stated that his grievances were ignored. He further alleged that the Parliamentary Affairs Minister had abused him and even threatened to kill him.
In response to the incident, Bahinipati told the media that democracy was being killed in the Assembly. He accused the BJP government of disrespecting democratic principles and running the house by force. The Congress MLAs have vowed to continue their protest until their concerns are addressed.
The situation in the Assembly is very likely to remain tense as both parties prepare for further confrontations.
