Bhubaneswar: Pandemonium took center stage for the second straight day in the Odisha Legislative Assembly as an unyielding opposition brought proceedings to a grinding halt. What began on the opening day of the session spilled directly into day two, transforming the floor of the House into a battleground of loud slogans, wave after wave of protests, and relentless disruption.
The trouble erupted immediately, with two major opposition parties taking distinct yet equally aggressive stands against the government. Members of the Biju Janata Dal stormed forward to vent their fury over the school textbook error controversy, demanding accountability and raising heat over the missteps in student learning materials. At the same time, Congress legislators launched their own attack, demanding immediate withdrawal of the controversial provisions of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act.
With placards in hand and members flooding the well of the House, the combined chorus of protests completely drowned out the scheduled business of the morning. Neither appeals for order nor attempts to calm the floor proved effective.
Faced with a house in utter turmoil and an opposition refusing to back down, Speaker Shrimati Surama Padhy was left with little choice but to step in. Striking her gavel against the deafening uproar, she officially adjourned all proceedings until 4:00 PM, pausing the standoff as the political heat inside the Assembly continues to rise.