Bhubaneswar, Nov 29 (IANS) In a dramatic move, Orissa Speaker Maheswar Mohanty Thursday abruptly adjourned the legislative assembly sine die on the ninth day of the planned 27-day winter session.
The speaker made this decision as members of the opposition Congress party created uproar in the assembly since the beginning of the session, demanding immediate discussion and voting on the recent caning of farmers and teachers and their problems.
As the house assembled Thursday and Speaker Mohanty tried to run the question hour, the entire Congress-led opposition trooped into the well, reiterating its demand, and did not allow the house top conduct any business.
The furore, which has paralysed the business of the house for past seven days, forced the speaker to adjourn the house twice up to 3 p.m. The stalemate persisted when the house reassembled again in the afternoon.
As the speaker wanted to conduct the official business, the opposition again created unruly scenes and insisted on a debate with vote on the motion it had moved.
As the pandemonium continued in the house, the ruling BJD-BJP coalition brought forward a motion seeking adjournment of the house prematurely.
After the motion was passed with voice vote, Speaker Mohanty adjourned the house sine die.
Leader of the opposition, and Congress leader J.B. Patnaik described the adjournment decision as undemocratic and the opposition members staged a walk-out.
“Since a constitutional crisis has erupted out of this in the state, the government has no moral right to stay in power. So, the government may be dismissed and we all will meet the governor to submit a memorandum in this regard,” Patnaik said.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, however, defended the decision of the speaker and said since opposition members were not allowing the speaker to run the house, a majority of the members wanted the government to bring forward a motion adjourning the housing sine die. He also blamed the opposition members for what he called rowdy and undemocratic actions in the house.
After the house was adjourned, the ruling coalition members staged a sit-in in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi inside the assembly premises, demanding suspension of all opposition members from the house.
They also demanded an apology from Union minister and Congress’s Orissa observer Ajay Mekan for allegedly instructing the opposition members to paralyse the house, which the ruling coalition said resulted in huge financial loss to the state.