Normalcy was restored in the State Assembly on Saturday afternoon after Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy apologised to BJP MlA Radharani Panda for his derogatory words uttered to her in the House on Thursday.
Maharathy tendered the apology at an all-party meeting in Speaker Niranjan Pujari’s chamber calling Panda as “Bada Bhauni” (elder sister) and promised that such a situation would not be repeated.
The Speaker informed this in the House, facilitating restoration of normalcy in the legislature. He then adjourned the House proceedings to Monday.
Earlier, the Assembly had continued to be paralysed for the third consecutive day on the issues of Maharathy’s alleged slangs to Panda and the State Government’s involvement in the mega chit fund scam.
The Opposition’s attack on the Government gained further sharpness after news broke that Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik’s authorised signatory and programme coordinator Saroj Kumar Sahu was summoned to the CBI office on the day and interrogated in connection with the chit fund scam.
The Speaker had to adjourn the House for six times.Radharani Panda had continued her dharna in front of the Speaker’s podium for the third day demanding justice to her while her party colleagues raised slogans against the apathy of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the Speaker’s alleged inaction in addressing the issue.
Opposition Congress members also protested the alleged failure of Speaker Niranjan Pujari in Handling the issue, besides raising slogans against the Government demanding its resignation over the chit fund scam.
Ruling BJD members, on their part, continued their demonstration for the second day against the alleged apathy of the Centre towards the State in giving assistance for rehabilitation and restoration works after the Cyclones Hudhud this year and Phailin last year.
leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra (Congress) accused the Government and the Speaker of failure to act on the issues raised by the Opposition. “It is the responsibility of the Government and the Speaker to ensure smooth running of the House. They must respect the Opposition’s view. But they have failed to do that,” he said.
leader of BJP legislature Party Basanta Kumar Panda railed the BJD members, saying, “Basic democratic courtesies demand that they should at least talk to the (woman) member who has been abused by a Minister and is on a dharna. But they have not bothered to even talk to her,” he said, describing it as a “threat to democracy”.
BJD member Samir Dash sought to shift the blame on the Opposition, saying, “The Speaker had said he would take up the Opposition’s demand after the Question Hour was over. But they did not pay any heed to his request. Does it not show who wants the House stalled,” he asked.
Meanwhile, leader of Opposition Mishra had written to the leader of the House and Chief Minister seeking his intervention for an early resumption of proceedings in the Assembly.