Speaker adjourns Odisha Assembly till Tuesday

The Speaker adjourned the Odisha Assembly till Tuesday as opposition Congress and BJP members rushed to the well of the House Monday and raised slogans against fuel price hike and alleged cooperative bank scam.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, the opposition Congress members led by party's chief whip Taraprasad Bahinipati rushed to the well and raised slogans against fuel price hike.

They demanded adjournment of the House in support of the Bharat Bandh. Bahinipati also attempted to climb atop the Speakers podium while his colleagues were shouting anti- Centre slogans over fuel price hike in the well.

The BJP members also staged similar protest and raised the alleged Omfed scam and alleged Cooperative bank scam in the state.

The Speaker P K Amat adjourned the House for the day till 10.30 am Tuesday. The House was adjourned when Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was about to reply during the Question Hour.

BJD Spokesperson and MLA Samir Dash outside the House termed disruption of the proceeding of the Assembly as "unfortunate." The opposition parties should not disrupt the proceeding and the question hour.

BJP law maker Pradip Purohit also alleged that the Speaker adjourned the House as the ruling BJD was indirectly supporting the Bharat Bandh of Congress.

Earlier, hundreds of Congress activists led by OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik staged a dharna in front of the Odisha Assembly. They requested all the members and officers not to participate in the assembly proceeding till 3 pm in support of the Bandh.

While Patnaik and other Congress leaders sat on dharna in front of the assembly gate, party's women activists made a human chain as a mark of protest.