Bhubaneswar, March 25: A scuffle broke out between senior Congress leaders and police outside the Odisha Assembly tonight, following the suspension of 12 Congress MLAs from the House earlier in the day. The Congress party staged a protest, vehemently opposing the suspension, which they described as undemocratic and unjust.
The demonstration was led by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Bhakta Charan Das and OPCC in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu. Senior leaders, including Narasingha Mishra, and former OPCC presidents Niranjan Patnaik and Jayadev Jena, also participated in the protest. The leaders condemned Speaker Surama Padhy’s decision to suspend 12 Congress MLAs for seven days, alleging it was based on false claims of misconduct and unruly behavior.
Ajay Kumar Lallu further criticized the police action, claiming that several senior Congress leaders were manhandled and detained during the protest.
In response to the agitation, police imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS) around the Odisha Assembly premises. Reports indicate that some Congress leaders were picked as preventive detaination, said Jagamohan Minna, DCP, Bhubaneswar
Earlier in the day, Speaker Surama Padhy took a stern stance, suspending 12 Congress MLAs for a week over allegations of unruly conduct during the afternoon session. The suspension was based on a motion filed by Government Chief Whip Saroj Kumar Pradhan, citing the lawmakers’ misconduct.
The suspended MLAs include: Congress Legislative Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam, C.S. Rajan Ekka, Sophia Firdous, Sagar Charan Das, Mangu Khila, Satyajit Gomango, Ashok Kumar Das, Dasarathi Gomango, Nilamadhab Hikaka, Kadraka Appala Swamy, Pabitra Saunta, and Prafulla Chandra Pradhan
The incident has further intensified the political tension in the state, with Congress leaders accusing the BJP government of suppressing opposition voices through undemocratic measures.
