BHUBANESWAR: The winter session of the Assembly witnessed noisy scenes and adjournments on Thursday following a remark made by BJP MLA Santosh Khatua on Mahatma Gandhi.
Khatua made the statement during discussion on supplementary budget of the Home and General Administration departments. The BJP member’s remark was expunged by Speaker Surama Padhy.
BJD and Congress members strongly protested the statement and entered the well of the House shouting slogans, terming the remarks completely unacceptable and disrespectful to the Father of the Nation. The Opposition members demanded that a senior minister should immediately apologise on behalf of the government for Khatua’s statement.
They then staged a walkout and sat on a dharna in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the Assembly premises. Speaker Surama Padhy had to adjourn the House several times and called a meeting of leaders of all political parties to persuade the BJD and Congress members to return to their seats. Parliamentary Affairs minister Mukesh Mahaling and several other ministers also reached the dharna place to persuade the Opposition members. Normalcy returned after the Parliamentary Affairs minister expressed regret over the statement in the House as demanded by the Opposition.
Earlier, question hour was also disrupted after Congress members staged a protest in the well of the House over the Speaker not allowing a resolution to be moved proposing reservation for OBCs, SCs and STs in technical and higher educational and institutions. The Speaker adjourned the House till 11.30 am as Congress members protested in the well, shouting slogans.