In Bhubaneswar, the Speaker of the Odisha Assembly, Surama Padhy, suspended 12 Congress members for seven days. This happened because they were causing disruptions in the assembly while protesting for a committee to investigate crimes against women in the state.
The Congress lawmakers used instruments like gongs, cymbals, and flutes to draw attention to their demands. They argued that a committee should be formed to look closely at the rising rates of crimes against women in Odisha.
Congress MLA Ashok Kumar Das expressed strong feelings about their demand. He said, “We want a committee to investigate these important issues, but the government is ignoring us. We will keep protesting until they listen.”
The suspended MLAs include:
– Rama Chandra Kadam (Pottangi)
– CS Raazen Ekka (Rajagangpur)
– Dasarathi Gamango (Mohana)
– Ashok Kumar Das (Basudevpur)
– Satyajeet Gamango (Gunupur)
– Sagar Charan Das (Bhawanipatna)
– Kadraka Appala Swamy (Rayagada)
– Prafulla Chandra Pradhan (Kandhamal)
– Pabitra Saunta (Koraput)
– Sofia Firdous (Barabati-Cuttack)
– Mangu Khilla (Chitrakonda)
– Nilamadhab Hikaka (Bissam Cuttack)
The Congress party has 14 members out of 147 in the assembly. Dasarathi Gamang, another Congress member, questioned why the ruling BJP party hesitated to form the committee. He stated, “The government is afraid. This is unacceptable behavior. We were trying to protest in a creative way.”
Urban Development Minister Krushna Mahapatra blamed the Congress for consistently interrupting the assembly sessions. “We had to take this step because they wouldn’t listen, and the people of Odisha are watching these disruptions,” he said.
BJD member Arun Sahoo felt the ruling BJP should have accepted the Congress’s request for a committee. He said the whole situation was caused by the government’s failure to act properly.
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