Ruckus in Odisha Assembly over textbook errors

Opposition MLAs on Wednesday created a ruckus in the Odisha Assembly demanding the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over errors in school textbooks, leading to the adjournment of the House till 4 pm.

As soon as the House assembled for Question Hour at 10:30 am on the second day of the monsoon session, BJD and Congress members, holding placards, trooped into the well and staged an agitation near the Speaker’s podium demanding the resignation of the minister and the repeal of the new mining law.  The BJD members raised the issue of errors in textbooks, while the Congress MLAs demanded the repeal of the MMDR Act.

While a section of the agitating members stood on the reporters’ table, another group tried to climb onto the Speaker’s podium.

The treasury bench members were seen silently sitting in their seats even as Opposition members raised anti-Government slogans in the well.  The agitation gained intensity when Deputy Speaker Bhabani Shankar Bhoi, who was presiding over the proceedings, allowed Science and Technology Minister KC Patra to respond to the opposition members’ queries.  Bhoi’s appeal to the agitating members to return to their seats fell on deaf ears, prompting the deputy speaker to adjourn the House till 4 pm within five minutes of functioning.

After the House was adjourned, the BJD MLAs headed to Mahatma Gandhi Marg to join an agitation by the party’s youth and student wings, who were demanding Gond’s resignation.