The current Winter Session of the Assembly on Monday was adjourned sine die abruptly amid ruckus, almost eight sittings before the scheduled end as the Treasury Bench brought a motion to curtail the sittings on the plea of repeated obstruction of proceedings and violence by the Opposition who had brought a “no-confidence motion” against the Government.
The session which commenced on November 28 was scheduled to be concluded on December 26. The Speaker adjourned the House sine die after an official motion brought by Government chief whip Pravat Kumar Tripathy was approved on a voice vote. The agitating Congress members staged a walkout and held a protest dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Assembly complex and walked to Raj Bhawan to urge Governor SC Jamir to call for proceedings of the House.
Both the Opposition Congress and BJP members boycotted the valedictory function. The official motion was brought by Government chief whip Tripathy to suspend the existing rules to enable the Speaker to adjourn the House.
However, before the sine die, Opposition Congress member Debi Prasanna Chand was suspended for the day for his unruly behaviour and breaking mike on the Speaker’s podium and throwing a banner towards the Chair.
The Opposition Congress members were creating the din demanding resignation of Revenue Minister Surya Narayan Patro for misleading information on the receipt of Central assistance for relief and reconstruction work in cyclone and flood-hit areas. Trouble started soon after the House assembled on Monday to take up the Question hour. The Congress members carrying big banners rushed to the Well to lodge their protest.
Amid the ruckus, Amat asked the Forest and Environment Minister Bijayshree Routray to reply to a question of Anup Sai. As the protest grew and a chaotic situation prevailed, Amat adjourned it after eleven minutes of the start of the sitting.
During the adjournment, there was a clash between the watch and ward staff and the Congress members when the latter were seen occupying the Speaker’s podium. However, the Speaker had suspended the Congress members for destroying the property of the House and creating obstruction of the proceedings.
The Government Chief Whip termed the attitude of the Congress members as fascist. However, the suspended Congress member did not leave despite warning of the Speaker.
The Treasury Bench members also dubbed the role of Congress members as undemocratic. Even law Minster and Parliamentary affairs Minister Kalpataru Das, condemning the attitude of the Opposition, favoured adjournment of the House in advance saying that the atmosphere was not conducive and the Opposition resorted to cheap politics.
Protesting the sine die, the entire Opposition, including Congress and BJP, walked out. However, the Speaker informed that the Opposition Congress had brought a no confidence motion against the Government for discussion. Since the motion was received by the Secretariat at 12.08 pm and the House had already passed the curtailment of the sittings, it would not be possible to take up the motion, he said. However, the leader of Opposition and Opposition Chief Whip criticized the Speaker for not allowing the motion for discussion and alleged that the Government was shying away from its responsibility and fearing the motion of no confidence. They alleged that there was no Government and governance in the State.