State Assembly on Monday witnessed four adjournments with the last till 10.30 am on Tuesday following the opposition Congress members’ continued protest and demonstration in the well over the “illegal arrest” of Talcher MlA Braja Kishore Pradhan and security of law makers.
For the consecutive third day, no business could be transacted in the House. Though the Winter Session commenced on November 28 and was adjourned for the day as a mark respect to former Speaker of Assembly late Somanath Rath, the House was paralysed for the next two days as the opposition Congress created uproar over use of money by BJD to win the urban elections in nine western Odisha districts, ‘no fund’ remark of Finance Minister Prasanna Acharya amounting to violation of model code of conduct and explosion in Bhushan Steel limited in Dhenkanal.
On Tuesday, the Congress members were up in the arms in the well in protest against the arrest of Talcher’s Independent MlA by the police on Saturday last. Pradhan was arrested in connection with violence and arson in Talcher railway sidings following the retrenchment of causal workers by a contractor.
As the Assembly began for the day and the Speaker tried to take up the Question Hour, the problem started. Without wasting time, leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh raised the issue of the arrest of the MlA.
He demanded the Speaker to constitute a House Committee under his chairmanship to probe the circumstance leading the arrest of the Independent law maker and submit a report to the House.
Singh regretted that though Pradhan had apprised the Speaker about the situation, still he was arrested in a very hush-hush manner for the second time in Bhubaneswar without presenting him in the local court, while the Assembly session is on. He demanded the Speaker to provide security to the members of the House.
As the Speaker continued the Question Hour by asking Finance Minister Prasanna Acharya to reply without heeding to the leader of Opposition, the Congress members rushed to the well and shouted slogans by displaying placards. The Congress members did not respond to the Speaker’s direction asking for supplementaries.
As the House plunged into chaos with the demonstrating Congress members clashing with the watch and ward staff to grab the podium in order to stall the proceedings, Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat was forced to adjourn House at 10.43am till 11.30 am and again at 11.35 am till 1 pm as the Congress members intensified their demonstration in the well. The Question Hour ran for only 13 minutes against two minutes on Saturday.
When the House reassembled in the post lunch sitting, the Opposition members again rushed into the well and continue their agitation to stall the proceedings. However, amidst the din, the Speaker read out the intimation letter of the IIC, Colliery Police Station of Talcher on the arrest of MlA Pradhan.
The Speaker informed the members that Pradhan had been extended all due courtesy during his detention period on police custody and refuted the opposition’s allegation that he was assaulted and misbehaved by the police.
leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh, however, described the arrest of the MlA as an insult to the House and the Speaker as the member was arrested in a secret manner while the House is in Session. Pradhan was ill treated and assaulted during the arrest, he said.
Stating that Pradhan was on a hunger strike inside the jail since his arrest and the House was in dark about his condition, Singh said that all the Congress MlAs would move Angul for an on the spot assessment of the situation and meet the member in the jail.
He alleged the Treasury Bench members with their brute majority were resorting to disruptive tactics not to allow the House to run.
On the other hand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kalpataru Das refuting Singh’s allegation, slammed the opposition Congress for not cooperating the Chair to conduct the proceedings of the House.
As the mudslinging went on, the Speaker adjourned the House for half an hour at 3.27 pm calling a meeting of the Advisory Committee to discuss the stalemate. However, as the meeting continued, Deputy Speaker Sanad Marandi adjourned the House for the day at 3.57 pm for the day till 10.30 am on Tuesday.