Opposition Congress on Thursday intensified its attack on Assembly Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat both inside and outside the House, ahead of next week’s notice served by it for his removal.
Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja raised the issue relating to the Supreme Court setting aside Amat’s review petition on the controversial merger of NCP MLAs with the ruling BJD during the zero hour. The Speaker did not allow him to speak.
Objecting to the Speaker’s denial of permission, Saluja sat in the Well of the House and then walked out saying he will sit on dharna near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on the Assembly premises.
Earlier, the Congress served notice seeking adoption of a resolution seeking removal of Amat who was accused of functioning in a partisan manner.
Meanwhile, NCP workers demonstrated before the official residence of the Speaker demanding a decision on the issue following rejection of his petition by the apex court.
Holding placards, they raised slogans demanding the Speaker to take a fair and unbiased decision on the matter. They were arrested when they tried to forcibly enter Amat’s residence.
State NCP president Utkal Keshari Parida had moved the Orissa High Court seeking disqualification of the Assembly membership of NCP MLAs Amar Prasad Satpathy, Naveen Nanda, Prasant Nanda and Ramachandra Hansda after they joined BJD on June 5 last year.
The High Court asked the Speaker to decide on the matter within eight weeks. The stand taken by the Speaker on the issue did not satisfy the High Court which directed the former to reconsider the NCP application afresh.
The Speaker challenged the High Court’s order by filing special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court which rejected the SLP on Wednesday.