Bhubaneswar: The State Police forcefully removed the protesting Congress MLAs from the Odisha Legislative Assembly late last night around 2 AM.
The Congress MLAs were staging protest inside the House after the Speaker suspended 12 of them for seven days for showing indiscipline behaviour in the House.
After adjournment of the Assembly, the Congress MLAs continue to sit in dharana in the well of the House over rising crime against women.
Even, they were not allowed inside the House after attending nature’s call. During a scuffle, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leader Rama Chandra Kadam got minor injury in his finger.
In support of the agitating party MLAs, the Congress party took out a funeral procession of the BJP government from the party office to Lower PMG. Several Congress leaders and workers staged demonstrations in the entrance gate of the Assembly in the night.
A scuffle broke out between security forces and Congress activists on the night outside the Assembly as the latter attempted to enter the premises in protest against the suspension of 12 party MLAs by Speaker Surama Padhy.
Authorities had imposed Section 163 of BNS near the Assembly and prevented Congress leaders from entering the premises.
In response, Youth Congress and Chhatra Congress leaders and activists blocked the road and protested in front of the Assembly.
State Congress President Bhakta Charan Das, former presidents Niranjan Pattnaik and Jayadev Jena, and senior party leaders Narasingha Mishra and Sharat Rout also attempted to enter the Assembly but were stopped by the police.
Subsequently, the police detained several Congress leaders and activists from the protest site. However, senior Congress leaders continued to insist that they be allowed to enter the Assembly to meet the suspended MLAs.
Despite their demands, the police refused entry, leading the Congress leaders and activists to stage a dharna outside the Assembly.
Senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra said that he had attempted to contact the Speaker over the phone, but she did not respond.
Tensions remain high outside the State Assembly, and security has been tightened in and around the premises following the Congress protest.
In the late night, when the situation became a little calm, the police forcefully evicted the Congress MLAs and left them near Congress Bhawan, said MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati.
He also alleged that someone had snatched his chain and the police dropped them in the main road at the Congress Bhawan. So, they continued their protest on the road there, he said.
Till morning, the MLAs and Congress supporters stage a protest on the main road. Now, all eyes are on the future course of action of the Congress and BJD’s response to these overnight activities.