BHUBANESWAR: In an unprecedented move, Speaker of the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday suspended 12 Congress MLAs from the House for seven days on charges of repeatedly creating indiscipline and unruly scene in the House, disrupting proceeding for the past 12 days.
Congress MLAs have been protesting in the House for the last 12 days demanding a House Committee to probe growing incidents of crime in the State. Meanwhile, members of the opposition party BJD shouted slogans demanding 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in government jobs.
The motion for suspension of the Congress members was moved by Government Chief Whip Saroj Pradhan.
The Speaker announced their suspension after the motion was passed during the post lunch session.
This is the first time in Odisha that the Speaker has taken action against so many legislators for disrupting proceedings of the House.
The suspended MLAs continued to protest by beating gongs in the well of the House. The Speaker then directed the MLAs to leave and adjourned the House for ten minutes.
The suspended Congress MLAs are leader of the Congress Legislature Party Rama Chandra Kadam, CS Rajan Ekka, Sofia Firdous, Ashok Das, Mangu Khila, Dasarathi Gamango, Satyajit Gamango, Nilamadhab Hikaka, Sagar Das, Mangu Khila, Pabitra Saunta and Prafulla Pradhan. However, senior Congress legislators Tara Prasad Bahinipati and Ramesh Jena were not suspended from the House.
Condemning the suspension of Congress MLAs, Bahinipati said that the government is suppressing the voice of people and acting against democratic norms.