BHUBANESWAR: Stalemate continues for the second day in the winter session of the Assembly with a determined opposition stalling the proceedings over their demand for the ouster of Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra and restriction on his entry to the House.
As the House assembled for the day, members of BJP and Congress shouted slogans against the government over the schoolteacher Mamita Meher murder case.
Sensing the mood of the opposition, Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro adjourned the house till 4 pm. The Assembly could not transact any business.
In the pandemonium, the BJP moved an adjournment notice for discussion on the deteriorating law and order situation.
However, the Speaker adjourned the House. Opposition Chief Whip Mohan Charan Makhi told reporters that the Speaker is acting under the pressure of the ruling BJD.
"As we had said that the normal functioning of the Assembly would depend on the neutrality of the Speaker, we don't see any fair play in the management of the House. We will continue our protest till the minister was sacked and the case is handed over to CBI," said Majhi.
Accusing the Speaker of playing into the hand of the government, Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinpati said the treasury benches are not interested in a discussion on the contentious issue. It is always the job of the ruling party to ensure the smooth functioning of the Assembly but the BJD is trying to escape a debate to save its face.
On the other hand, a delegation of the Congress legislators led by the leader of the legislature party Narsingha Mishra met Director General of Police Abhay and demanded that the Mamita murder case be investigated by a special investigation team monitored by a sitting judge of the Orissa High Court.
In a counter move, BJD MLAs staged a dharna near Mahatma Gandhi statue on the premises of the Odisha Assembly protesting the stiff hike in LPG prices.
The students' wing of the BJD also stages a dharna near Raj Bhavan protesting the price hike of petroleum products and neglect of the Central Government to Odisha in the allotment of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).