Even as the whole world observed the International Women Day on Friday, the State Assembly witnessed furor over Speaker PK Amat’s refusal to a debate on growing crimes and atrocities against women.
There was a procedural wrangling on the question of refusal of an adjournment notice for the discussion and both the opposition Congress and Treasury bench members involved in acrimonious exchanges leading to a demonstration in the well by irate Congress members and subsequent adjournment of the House by the Speaker.
The issue was first raised by leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh as soon as the House assembled for the day to transact its business with Question Hour. However, with the assurance of the Speaker to hear the issue during the Zero Hour, Singh cooperated in the functioning of the business.
After the Question Hour, Singh regretted that while the International Women’s Day was being observed across the globe, the Speaker had disallowed an adjournment motion notice on the growing incidence of atrocities on women brought by the Congress for a debate in the Assembly on a flimsy ground.
On the important day, Odisha is observing the day as atrocity on women has been on the rise. He referred to the police action and the subsequent nude protest by women in the proposed Posco steel plant area.
Justifying a debate on the issue, Singh said incidents of gang rape were reported from Bhograi, Baripada, Rayagada and in many other places and added that in most cases, FIRs were not being accepted by the police.
On Thursday, Singh said that women lodged a nude protest at the proposed Posco site to oppose the land acquisition and demanded the shifting of the site to a nearby location. Describing the incident as shameful and condemnable, the Singh said though his party wanted to discuss the issues, the Government was shying away from them. This has exposed the double standards of the Chief Minister who on the eve of the Assembly session had dared to discuss any issue to be raised by the Opposition in the House, Singh asserted.
Singh was supported by his party colleagues Sanostsh Singh Saluja and party Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan. Saluja said incidents of atrocities on women was a matter of public importance and should be discussed in the House. During last ten years of the BJD rule, as many as 10,000 rape incidents were committed in the State. While 1,222 rape cases were committed during 2011-12, in 2012-13, the number was 1,103, he informed.
The ruling BJD is going to face the next general election with a rape burden of 10,000 cases, he said and urged the Government to ensure suitable steps so that the incidents never occurred in future. He urged the Speaker to reconsider his decision and take up the matter for discussion.
Harichandan said as many as 73 gangrape incidents were being committed per annum in Odisha. The Government was only hoodwinking the women by various announcements. Quoting the white paper on crime by the Crime Record Bureau, he said while the atrocity on women was 18 per cent in the national level, it was 22.3 per cent in Odisha.
He regretted that though the State Government had constituted the Women Empowerment Mission Authority with Chief Minister as the Chairman, not a single meeting was held during the last two years and even not a single pie out of Rs 8 crore sanctioned by the Central Government was spent for the purpose.
Stating that the nude protest by the women in Posco project area had lowered the image of Odisha world over, he said since the crime against women had been on the rise, the adjournment should be discussed in the House.
lamenting that the Speaker had rejected the adjournment motion notice given by the Congress on the ground that the House was scheduled to take up the discussion on two demand discussion relating to Energy and Industry Department and that the matter was of not recent occurrence, nor was it of urgent public importance, Harichandan referred to a few earlier decisions by the Speaker for allowing adjournment motions on the same issue. Besides, he justified that the motion was of recent occurrence and urged the Speaker to reconsider his decision and to give a definite ruling.
However, Government Chief Whip Sanjaya Dasburma and Parliamentary Affairs Minister defended the ruling of the Speaker in not allowing the adjournment motion notice. Dasburma in his counter attack reminded the Congress for record women atrocities during its rule in 1980-1990 and described the Congress as synonymous with rape and murder and corruption. On the other hand , Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had taken a number of steps for the empowerment of women and has been a role model in the country for ensuring 50 per cent reservation for women, he countered.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister, refuting the allegation that the Government was afraid of a discussion on the issue, asserted quoting Parliamentary practice rules that the motion was not a matter of recent occurrence or definite.
The Speaker also ruled that he had rejected the motion as the issue was neither a matter of recent occurrence nor of urgent public importance as per the rules and procedures of the House. However the Congress members demonstrated in the well opposing the Speaker and created a pandemonium in the well. As unruly scene continued, Amat adjourned the House at 12.40 till 3 pm.