Bhubaneswar, March 11: Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati has been suspended from the Odisha Assembly for seven days following an incident of alleged unruly behavior.
The suspension came after Government Chief Whip Saroj Pradhan moved a motion against Bahinipati's actions during the second half of today's session. Subsequently, Speaker Surama Padhy issued the suspension order.
Earlier in the day, the Odisha Assembly was thrown into chaos when members from the ruling BJP and opposition Congress clashed physically in the well of the House. This altercation led Speaker Padhy to adjourn the proceedings until noon.
The confrontation began when senior BJP legislator Jaynarayan Mishra approached Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati, who was standing near Urban Development Minister K.C. Mohapatra, who was responding to a question. Mishra allegedly grabbed Bahinipati by the collar and shoved him.
Speaking to the media outside the Assembly, Bahinipati explained, “I was trying to ask Minister Mohapatra to stop speaking as the House was not in order, and I was pleading with folded hands. Suddenly, Mishra came up to me, grabbed my collar, and pushed me.”
The situation quickly escalated, with both BJP and Congress members exchanging blows. This forced Speaker Padhy to adjourn the session. Although BJD members were also present in the well of the House, they did not participate in the altercation.
Both opposition parties, BJD and Congress, were protesting different issues. BJD lawmakers were demanding a statement from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi regarding BJP legislator Mishra's controversial comment about the 1936 merger of the Koshala region with Odisha, which he described as a "historical mistake." Meanwhile, Congress members were protesting the increasing incidents of crimes against women in the state.
This incident marks the second consecutive day of disruption in the Odisha Assembly.
