Opposition flays Governor's speech, stages walk-out

Taking a dig at the ruling Biju Janata Dal, the principal opposition party Congress today accused the state government of providing incorrect information in the prepared speech of Governor S C Jamir at the state assembly.

The Leader of Opposition, Bhupinder Singh gave a parallel speech in the House, soon after the Governor started reading his address, while other members of the Congress remained standing at their respective seats shouting slogans against the government, trying to disrupt Jamir's address. The Congress MLAs later staged a walk-out.

The Governor was addressing the assembly on the first day of the last session of the current assembly. The session among other things is expected to pass vote-on-account ahead of the ensuing general elections.

"All wrong information have been given in the Governor's speech prepared by the government and we condemn it. The only achievement of this government in last 14 years is that it has made Odisha the No 1 poor state in the country," Singh told media persons later.

As usual, the Governor's address was full of eulogies to the state government without any mention about various scams and unsavoury incidents, which have taken place during the rule of BJD government, relating to atrocities against women, rising law and order situation, hooch tragedy, financial fraud by chit fund companies and illegal mining etc.

"The state government has completely failed in all fields," the Opposition leader said.

"The parallel speech by the Leader of Opposition was not recorded and was just for the sake of publicity. The progressive picture of the state has been presented through the Governor's speech," said Pravat Tripathy, BJD chief whip in the assembly.