Bhubaneswar: A day after suspending 12 Congress MLAs from Assembly for seven days, Speaker Surama Pady today suspended remaining two legislators for seven working days.
As the two Congress MLAs—Taraprasad Bahinipati and Ramesh Jena—continued their protest beating gongs in the well of the House during Question Hour Speaker suspended the duo for seven days.
After a strong protest and shuffle with police outside the Assembly, the two Congress members were allowed to enter into the House.
BothShri Bahinipati and Shri Jena marched to the well of the House while beating cymbals and attempted to disrupt the Question Hour.
They climbed onto the Reporter’s table and continued playing the cymbals.
The Speaker warned the two Congress MLAs to refrain from beating the cymbals inside the well of the House and urged them to maintain decorum.
However, despite repeated warnings, bothShri Bahinipati and Shri Jena continued their protest inside the well, forcing the Speaker to suspend them for seven working days.
The suspension motion, moved by Government Chief Whip Saroj Kumar Pradhan, was adopted, and the Speaker formally announced their suspension.
Despite being suspended,Shri Bahinipati and Shri Jena refused to leave the House and continued playing cymbals inside the well in protest against their suspension.
With the suspension of these two Congress MLAs on Wednesday, all 14 Congress MLAs have now been suspended from the House for seven working days.
Amid the Congress protest outside the Assembly, the House convened at 10:30 AM to take up the Question Hour.
Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik, rising on a point of order, sought a statement from the Speaker regarding the alleged assault of suspended Congress MLAs by Assembly security staff inside the well of the House on Tuesday nigh
Subsequently, all BJD MLAs staged a noisy walkout, demanding a statement from the Speaker.
Holding placards, the BJD MLAs proceeded out of the House, breaking the barricades, and marched in a procession to the Ambedkar statue near AG Square, demanding 27 percent reservation for OBCs in education and jobs.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka also reached the Assembly gate and attempted to enter the premises. However, he was denied entry by the police.
In protest,Shri Ulaka sat on a dharna near the gate and threatened to raise the issue in Parliament, demanding action against the police officers who prevented his entry into the Assembly.
DCP Jagmohan Meena, stated that several Congress leaders and activists had been detained for breaking three barricades in an attempt to enter the Assembly, violating Section 163 of the BNS.
Shri Meena informed that the situation is now under control after all Congress leaders and activists were taken into preventive custody.
When the Question Hour ended and House started proceedings for Zero Hour, the BJD MLAs again entered into the Assembly and slammed the BJP government for forcefully evicting the Congress MLAs and closing all gates of the Assembly.
BJD Lawmakers Prasanna Acharya, Ranendra Pratap Swain, Arun Sahoo and Pramila Mallik criticised the Treasury Bench for the incidents that happened in the House last night.
They demanded a detailed statement from the Speaker on this matter. As the Speaker did not pay attention to their demand, the BJD MLAs again staged a walk out.
Later, the Speaker convened an all party meeting except Congress to resolve the deadlock. The Assembly witnessed several adjournments and the last one till 4 PM.