Heated exchange of words between BJP & Congress members in

Opposition BJP and Congress members on Tuesday exchanged heated words in the Odisha Assembly over a saffron party legislator taking names of two leaders from outside the state during a debate on Monday.

The issue was raised by Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra who urged Speaker S N Patro to expunge the names of two Congress leaders whose names were taken by BJP deputy leader B C Sethi during a discussion on the Mahatma Gandhi's 150th Birth Anniversary celebration in the state.

Sethi had on Monday said that the two Congress leaders had made remarks against India while on tour to foreign countries.

While demanding a ruling from the chair, agitated Congress members rushed to the well of the House twice.

Mishra said it was violation of the Parliamentary practice to take names of the persons absent in the House and demanded immediate direction to expunge names of the two Congress leaders taken by the BJP member.

The Speaker said the objectionable part of the statement will be expunged from the record of the House.

He also informed the members that they should be careful and not take names of the persons absent in the House.

Sethi said that he took the names of the two Congress leaders because other members in the past have also done like that.

"I hope, the Speaker will be successful in preventing members from taking names of persons absent in the House in future," Sethi said.