like several earlier sittings, the Winter Session of the Odisha legislative Assembly was also adjourned ahead of as many as eight scheduled working days. Who was responsible for premature ending of sessionIJ
The Pioneer met leaders of the three major parties, the BJD, the Congress and the BJP, to get their views on this issue of public concern.
Damodar Rout’s statement a slap on CM’s face Debadas Pradhan speaks to leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra
This time, the Winter Session too was closed halfway, whyIJ
The State Government is always trying to pick and choose something and on the flimsy ground they adjourn the Assembly. It is the responsibility of the Government to ensure smooth functioning of the House.
Aren’t Opposition parties also responsible for thisIJ
This time, the Opposition took a stand that since you have punished somebody (suspending Congress MlA Naba Das for seven days for watching porn in mobile) before trial, it is unprecedented in any judicial, quasi judicial system and legislature and, therefore, unless you reconsider your act, we will not cooperate. The Speaker called an all-party meeting; it was inconclusive. We got some proposals and the Government representative promised us to respond to our proposals. But on Wednesday (next day), they did not call us and abruptly closed the House. If the House is to be closed before the schedule, they should discuss with the Opposition parties. They did not talk to us; so, this is highly undemocratic. The Government has no face to challenge the Opposition.
What is your impression on the GovernmentIJ
Our impression is that this session, the Government was on back foot. They had no answers to any of the questions raised by the Opposition. Public pressure was mounting on them and, therefore, they closed the House and ran away. There were ample businesses to be transacted in the House. On December 17, the Opposition’s motion on ration card was to be discussed. Probably, being conscious of that, they closed the session.
Don’t you think that the Government took the decision as the Opposition boycotted the proceedingsIJ
If the Government has that much respect for the Opposition then how did the Government conduct the House in the absence of the Opposition for two daysIJ They should have adjourned the session from the day when the Opposition boycotted.
Won’t you think that you boycotted only to save face after your MlA Naba Das caught watching porn in HouseIJ
We really wanted an inquiry, and if the allegation was found to be true, to punish him. I said in the House you had mutual evidence. But how can you hang a person before trial and holding a trial after hanging. Is it not partialIJ We are only objecting the procedure. In broad daylight, how can you violate the lawIJ You want to punish somebody for violation of law, but you yourself are violating the law.
In 1963 when Gadadhar Dautta was in Chair, a member raised an allegation against another member. The Chair ruled you first produce evidence that the allegation is true. Then only I will ask you to make this allegation. So, an allegation cannot be made according to the Rules and Procedures and the precedent of the House without evidence. What are the evidences before the House (in the Naba Das case)IJ If newspaper and TV reports are evidence then why in the cases of Ramadevi, farmers’ suicide and starvation death are they (the Government) saying newspapers reported falseIJ
How do you see Minister Damodar Rout’s statement that the discussion on a motion on Biju Patnaik without Opposition was painfulIJ
Damodar Rout’s statement is a slap on the Chief Minister’s face.
How do you see BJD MPs’ meeting with PM Modi on the Polavaram issueIJ Dou you think that they got mileage leaving Opposition in a fixIJ
If Odisha is going to lose in any way, to protect the interest of the State we are willing to join hands with the ruling party. But the ruling party is not prepared to carry us. They do not really want to protect the interest of the people of the State. But they are really interested to have petty political games. They must explain. In 1978, why there was an agreement in favour of Polavaram where the State of Odisha was a partyIJ To protest for the interest of the State is one thing, and the protest against the Polavaram project itself is another thing. If one-third of the estimated cost has already been spent then the million-dollar question is can you really stop the projectIJ So, what you can do is protect the interest of the people of the State.
It would have been partial to run House sans Opp Pabitra Senapaty meets Government Chief Whip Ananta Das
Yet again, the Assembly was adjourned halfway. Was it rightIJ
Five important Bills were passed and two important motions, one on Central drought assistance negligence and another on legendary Biju Patnaik’s role in freedom movement and nation building, were discussed. We too raised the Polavaram issue. As per the normal procedure, the Assembly should meet at least for 60 days in a year, but there is also a provision under the Rule of Conduct of Businesses and Proceedings that the number of days can be reduced when it is felt so.
Was the purpose for which the House had been convened servedIJ
You know Opposition members didn’t attend the House on December 15 and 16. We thought the Opposition would not participate and it would be partial to hold discussions in their absence. I proposed to the Speaker to adjourn the House sine die. We are satisfied that we had raised Polavaram and Central negligence to Odisha in giving drought assistance.
Was not the Opposition’s decision to stay away from the House proceedings appropriateIJ
See, the Naba Das case was a very personal and small issue. It is not appropriate for Opposition members to boycott the House demanding reconsideration of his suspension. Still, the Speaker convened an all-party meeting to reach a consensus for smooth running of the House. But it was not fully fruitful. The leader of Opposition didn’t attend the meeting but had sent a representative. The two national parties, the BJP and the Congress, are two sides of a coin.
Was Naba Das’ suspension an appropriate decision before the Ethics Committee reportIJ
I said it s a personal and small issue. Yet, it is an image tarnishing matter for Odisha. As both electronic and print media hugely published Naba Das watching porn video in the Assembly, the Speaker suspended him for seven days. I think it was a right decision because it put a full stop to further discussions. A Minister of Karnataka had to resign over such an allegation two years back, you know.
The media is also covering farmer suicide cases hugely. Why is the Government least worriedIJ
Farmers and farmers’ family members committing suicide is a trend prevailing across the country. The National Crime Records Bureau report says nearly one lakh farmer family members committing suicide in the country each year. Odisha is in a better position as compared to other States like Maharashtra, Gujarat and others. Opposition parties are only colouring this issue to take political mileage. No farmer committed suicide in the State for drought effect.
What’s your view on Damodar Rout’s contention on the Biju Patnaik motion discussion in Opposition’s absenceIJ
He was right for his love for Bijubahu. It would have been better if Opposition members had participated in the discussion. As Dambabu was not a member of the Business Advisory Committee, he did not know that the date for motion discussion on Bijubahu was fixed 15 days ego with consents of the leader of Opposition and the BJP legislature Party leader. Meantime, the Naba Das issue came up and opposition members didn’t participate.
Govt ran away after BJD’s link with al-Qaeda came to fore Debadas Pradhan seeks MlA and BJP State president Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo’s views.
What’s your view on the House being closed halfway without holding discussion with OppositionIJ
As the arrested suspected al-Qaeda terrorist Abdul Rehman and his links with the ruling BJD leaders got exposed, the State Government fearing stiff protest from Opposition parties ran away closing the House halfway. Since the brother of Rehman admitted that he is a frontline BJD leader in the locality, we demanded an impartial inquiry into it.
Govt says that since there was no more business to be transacted in the House, it proposed for adjournment. Is this rightIJ
While the Business Advisory Committee had fixed business schedule till December 19, how it can say there was no business to be transacted. It is the Government who solely closed the House abruptly without any reasonable reason. They should have held discussion with the Opposition before adjourning the House sine die.
BJP legislators boycotted House with Congress protesting suspension of MlA Naba Das for watching porn in House. Govt says that the BJP and the Congress have joined hands and did not cooperate in the smooth functioning of the House. Your take on it.
I want to make it clear that BJP never joined hands with the Congress. We just opposed the way the Speaker suspended the MlA without trial and investigation. The Speaker first ruled that the Ethics Committee would probe the incident but the next moment he announced the suspension of the MlA. Is not it arbitrary. We boycotted the proceedings protesting the manner in which the Speaker acted. We have no hidden agenda with the Congress. We have opposed illegal activities and nothing else.
leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra blasted PM Narendra Modi recently in the House. How are you with the Congress despite thisIJ Govt Chief Whip Anata Das says that you along with the Congress disrupted the House functioning.
If that is so then why senior BJD leader and Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma praised the leader of Opposition openly for his charge against Prime Minister ModiIJ Can we say that there was a hidden agenda between the ruling BJD and the opposition CongressIJ The State Government is doing petty politics. It has no courage to face the Opposition in any issue. We never disrupted the House intentionally, but whenever illegality came we protested.