Bhubaneswar, Sept 23: The second day of the Odisha Assembly’s Monsoon Session began amid loud protests and sloganeering by opposition members, disrupting proceedings from the start of Question Hour.
Congress MLAs staged a protest demanding the withdrawal of the MMDR amendment legislation, while BJD members raised concerns over alleged errors in school textbooks. Carrying placards, opposition legislators entered the well of the House and raised slogans over their respective demands.
Speaker Surama Padhy adjourned the House until 4 pm amid the continued commotion.
The nine-day Monsoon Session had witnessed a similar disruption on its opening day, with proceedings remaining largely paralysed due to protests by opposition members. The BJD and Congress had raised separate issues concerning alleged errors in school textbooks and the Centre’s MMDR legislation.
On the second day, opposition members moved into the well of the House as soon as Question Hour began. BJD legislators displayed posters and placards highlighting the alleged textbook errors, while Congress MLAs demanded the withdrawal of the MMDR amendment law.
Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati and BJD MLA Dhruba Charan Sahu were among those who climbed onto the reporters’ table as part of the protest.
The continued disruptions prevented both Question Hour and Zero Hour from being conducted smoothly. Speaker Surama Padhy and the Deputy Speaker adjourned the House repeatedly in an effort to restore order.
Later in the day, the government introduced six important Bills amid the protests. However, the Bills could not be taken up for discussion due to the continued uproar in the House.
