Uproar in Odisha Assembly over rape cases in Balasore district

The Odisha Assembly today witnessed repeated adjournments amid an uproar by the Congress members over the "deteriorating law and order situation" in the state.

As soon as the House assembled for the Question Hour, Leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra urged Speaker P K Amat to initiate a discussion on the two recent rape cases in Balasore district.

A nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a local youth yesterday when she had gone out to attend a fair in Soro police station area of the district. The incident happened two days after another four-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her neighbour and her private parts mutilated in Nilagiri area of the district.

As the Speaker refused to initiate the discussion, angry Congress members rushed to the well of the House, shouting slogans against the state government. Some of them tried to dislodge the microphone from the Speaker's table.

Unable to run the House, the Speaker adjourned the House till 11.30 am.

The Assembly, however, witnessed a similar situation when the members reassembled for the Zero Hour. The Congress MLAs sought a statement from the CM on the two rape cases.

Despite requests, when the Congress members refused to relent, the Speaker adjourned the House for the second time in the day till 3 pm. Amat said he will give a ruling on the matter in the evening.

"The state government is yet to take any action on the two rape cases in Balasore district," Mishra told reporters outside the House.

Nilagiri BJD MLA Sukant Nayak, on his part, said he came to know about the incident from TV and social media.

The police are investigating into the incident and those found guilty in the two cases would be punished, he told reporters.

Samir Ranjan Dash, BJD member and party spokesman, said, "The Naveen Patnaik government never spares culprits. Strong action will be taken in these cases too. However, the way the Opposition members stalled the Question Hour today was unfair. They could have raised the issue at an appropriate forum.