After three days of protest, BJP members finally withdrew their dharna from the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the State Assembly premises on the request of Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro on Monday afternoon.
Notably, they had sat on the dharna protesting “denial of permission to them” to raise voice against alleged killing of Jajpur district’s Haridashpur PEO Smitarani Biswal since Saturday morning.
They didn’t participate in any of proceedings held in the House on Saturday and on Monday till afternoon.
The members came to the house only at about 4.30 pm after a team comprising Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha, Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari and Government Chief Whip Pramila Mallick, sent by the Speaker, went to them and requested them to come back to the House for a fourth time.
Even as Leader of Opposition Pradipta Kumar Naik raised the alleged Smitarani killing case, the Speaker asked not to raise the issue as the Minister has already presented a statement in the House. He, however, asked him to raise the issue at another time. Then, he adjourned the House at 4.50 pm till Tuesday.