BHUBANESWAR: The budget session of the Assembly got off to a stormy note on Monday with the Opposition BJD and Congress boycotting the address of Governor Raghubar Das in the House over the issue of alleged assault of an assistant section officer in the Raj Bhavan by his son.
Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik led the walkout by the BJD and Congress members as soon as the Governor started his address to the House. Congress MLAs were also seen raising the issue inside the House before joining the walkout.
“My party and I were disappointed and surprised that the present government has taken no action against the Governor’s son, who had meted out violence to a government officer. We were deeply shocked by this. Law and order seems to have completely broken down in our state,” Naveen told mediapersons later.
The BJD supremo said that immediate action was taken against ministers, MLAs, MPs, senior government officers whenever they broke the law during his government. “The state government should take action according to the law,” he stated.
Baikuntha Pradhan, an ASO, was allegedly assaulted by the Governor’s son on the Raj Bhavan premises at Puri during Rath Yatra on July 7. Pradhan was posted to supervise preparations for President Droupadi Murmu’s visit.
Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan described the walkout by the Opposition as unfortunate and said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and the state government are taking the allegation seriously. “The Governor’s office has directed the Puri collector to submit a report on the incident within the next 15 days. Strong action will be taken against the guilty basing on the report,” he said. Harichandan said the BJP government is committed to allow law to take its own course. “The BJD members have become intolerant to the success of Mohan Majhi government in Odisha in such a short period,” he said.