Odisha Assembly was adjourned for the third consecutive day today following pandemonium by Opposition Congress over Talcher MLA's arrest and ongoing workers' unrest in the coal fields of Angul district.
As soon as the House assembled for the day, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh drew attention of Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat and said how Talcher Independent MLA Braja Kishore Pradhan was arrested by the police.
When Singh was raising the issue, his party colleagues rushed to Well of the House and protested the arrest.
As some of the agitating members attempted to climb the Speaker's podium, the House was first adjourned till 11.30 AM and subsequently till 3 PM and later till tomorrow.
The Question Hour lasted barely 13 minutes.
When the House reassembled at 3 PM, the Leader of Opposition again raised the issue and alleged that the police arrested the MLA without informing the Speaker.
Giving details of the situation under which Pradhan was arrested, Speaker said the local police of Talcher had informed him about the arrest.
Under rule 154 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, the Inspector- in-Charge of Colliery Police Station under Angul district had informed about arrest and detention of Pradhan, Amat said.
Pradhan was arrested on November 30 and was forwarded to the court of the SDJM, Talcher, on the same day. The MLA has been remanded to judicial custody and is in the sub-jail at Talcher, Amat said.
Meanwhile, a seven-member delegation of Congress MLAs rushed to Talcher to study the prevailing situation there and meet the MLA in judicial custody and demanded formation of a House Committee to probe into the situation which led to the arrest of an MLA when the House was in session.
Pradhan, sources said, was staging a hunger strike in the jail in protest against the police action against him.
