BHUBANESHWAR: Even as the ruling BJD members stalled proceedings of the assembly for the second day on Thursday over the Polavaram and Mahanadi issues, the opposition Congress sought the intervention of president of India to 'uphold the constitution and law'.
In a memorandum submitted to president of India Pranab Mukherjee, leader of the opposition Narasingh Mishra said,
"the state of constitutional breakdown is something unheard of in the annals of democratic India. So your intervention is absolutely necessary to uphold the constitution and law in this country."
Besides Mishra, the memorandum was signed by all the other 15 Congress members in the assembly.
The memorandum alleged that when the national anthem was being played, the ruling BJD members shouted slogans and disrupted proceedings of the house on Wednesday. "The opposition was in utmost restraint and earlier notice was given by the leader of the opposition to move a motion for discussion on Mahanadi river water issue," it said.
When the national anthem was over, the leader of the opposition wanted to move the motion but he was overlooked by Speaker Niranjan Pujari amidst the continuing disruption of the house by ruling party members, it added and said as if premeditated, the Speaker adjourned the house till 3pm.
The memorandum alleged after the house met at 3pm and the leader of the Opposition was all set to have a discussion on the motion, ruling party members persisted with disruption of proceedings by shouting slogans as a result of which the Speaker adjourned the house immediately. The chief minister was present
althrough when the unruly scenes were orchestrated and he did not intervene, it added.
Besides the Mahanadi river water dispute, there are several other issues including killing of innocent tribals at Gumudumaha in Kandhamal district in police firing, death children at Nagaga due to malnutrition, the Dana Majhi incident and the deteriorating law and order situation.
"It is apparent that the ruling party is with its brute majority is hell bent not to concede any ground to the Opposition to have its say and bring to the fore important issues concerning the masses," it said.
Stating that the situation is quite unprecedented, the memorandum alleged in the previous session also the ruling party had disrupted the business of the house for which the entire budget session was washed out.