The Congress members on Friday afternoon sat on a dharna under the Speaker's podium in the State Assembly demanding an apology from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the 'rude behaviour' meted out to them by ruling BJD members during Question Hour.
leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra joined his party colleagues in the dharna, which began as soon as the Assembly reassembled at 3 pm.
"This kind of conduct is a gag of democracy. The leader of the House must apologise," said Mishra in the House.
Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the House till 5.20 pm. The same situation prevailed when the House reassembled. This time, amid hullabaloo, the Chief Minister read out a statement announcing a local judicial magistrate's order for probe into the jawan arrest case in Nuapada district.
Earlier in the day, the Speaker had adjourned the House at 10.30 am till 3 pm as pandemonium prevailed as soon as the House met.
While the Congress members raised slogans and waved banners from their seats, ruling party members rushed to the Opposition benches. Some of them caught hold of Congress Chief Whip Taraparasad Bahinipati and tried to snatch a banner from him.
later, addressing a press conference, in his Assembly Chamber, the leader of the Opposition said the rude manner shown by the BJD members had never happened in the Assembly. "The Chief Minister has created history by directing his party members to obstruct us from our constitutional rights. We demand that the CM apologise in the House," Mishra said.
He too alleged that the BJD doesn't want the House to run when the Opposition is committed to participating in discussions on matters of people's interest.
"We had given an adjournment motion on the Kendrapada issue. The Speaker had also accepted it. But the ruling party created ruckus in fear of discussion," Mishra said.