Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Legislative Assembly faced another day of disruption, as Speaker Shrimati Surama Padhy was forced to adjourn proceedings until Monday.
The ongoing impasse, primarily fueled by protests from the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress, has stalled legislative business during the monsoon session.
The primary cause of the commotion is the fertilizer crisis affecting farmers during the ongoing kharif season. BJD Members, the main opposition party, have been storming the well of the House, holding placards, and raising slogans against the Governing BJP Government.
They are demanding a full-fledged, day-long debate on the issue, alleging widespread scarcity and black marketing of fertilizers. The party’s Chief Whip, Shrimati Pramila Mallik, stated that a brief discussion wouldn’t do justice to the plight of farmers, who make up over 60% of the state’s population.
The Congress party, which also raised the fertilizer issue and had moved a no-confidence motion against the government, has expressed frustration with the BJD’s actions.
Congress MLA Ashok Das alleged that the BJD’s persistent ruckus, which led to the adjournment, was a tactic to protect the BJP Government from a debate on the no-confidence motion.
Meanwhile, the Governing BJP has accused both the BJD and Congress of undermining constitutional values and creating a spectacle for political mileage rather than genuinely addressing the issue.
BJP MLA Shri Irasis Acharya pointed out that an adjournment motion on the fertilizer issue had been accepted, but the BJD’s protest prevented any discussion from taking place.
The repeated adjournments have hampered the progress of the session, raising concerns about whether any substantive legislative business will be conducted.