BHUBANESWAR: The uproar in the Assembly over the Chikiti hooch tragedy continued for the second day on Friday with Opposition BJD MLAs going to the extent of attempting to climb the Speaker’s podium and gherao her.
As soon as the House assembled for the day, BJD and Congress members trooped into the well shouting slogans and demanding the resignation of Excise minister Prithiviraj Harichandan.
Two BJD MLAs Madhab Dhada and Romancha Ranjan Biswal tried to climb on to the podium where Speaker Surama Padhy was seated. They were assisted by others from the well of the House. They were also seen trying to uproot the microphone from the podium. Several other BJD members also tried to enter the podium through the stairs but were kept in check by security members. Women members were seen trying to obstruct the Speaker.
Chaos continued in the House for some time during which the Speaker had to sit on her chair protected by the security personnel. The Speaker adjourned the House till 11.30 am as normalcy did not return.
The ruling BJP strongly condemned the behaviour of the Opposition BJD members. “The BJD had ruled the state for the last 24 years in the name of women and got their votes. But today, they climbed on the podium of a woman Speaker and showed her disrespect,” BJP MLA Purna Chandra Sethi said.
Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallick, however, said the government claimed to have taken several steps to control illicit liquor but has done nothing in this regard. She reiterated the BJD demand that the Excise minister should resign till the RDC probe is over.
Stating that hooch-related deaths are on the rise in the state, leader of the Congress legislature party Rama Chandra Kadam also backed the demand for Harichandan’s resignation.
Normalcy returned to the House after 11.30 am and Opposition members participated in an adjournment motion discussion on the liquor tragedy. The minister announced that the state government has initiated crackdown on spurious liquor and has not suppressed any fact relating to the Chikiti hooch tragedy. The Opposition members, however, were not satisfied and staged walkout.