Speaker adjourns the house thrice after Pandemonium scenes

Bhubaneswar, Nov 26 (UNI) The opening day of the winter session of Orissa Assembly today witnessed uproarious scenes after BJP, the alliance partner of the government and opposition Congress trooped into well and shouted slogans in favour of their demands forcing Speaker Kishore Mohanty to adjourn the house thrice cancelling the question hour.

While the ruling BJP was demanding immediate arrest of the killers of Swami Laxamandna Sarswati, the opposition Congress was demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Leader of opposition J B Patnaik alleged that the BJP had not participated in the joint legislature party meeting yesterday expressing its dissatisfaction over the delay in the arrest of the killers of Swamiji and agitated today in the house on the same point.

He said the Chief Minister had lost the confidence of the BJP members and should step down as he had no right to continue in power.

Unable to run the house the Speaker first adjourned the house at 1141 till 1200 hrs then from 1200 hrs to 1300 and finally from 1302 hours till tomorrow.

As soon as the house assembled to take up the question hour just after making the obituary reference, the BJP members started shouting slogans demanding the immediate arrest of the killers of Laxamananda Sarswati.

Almost all the BJP members except the ministers trooped into the well and started shouting in favour of their demand.Mr Pratp Sarangi, Mohd. Raffiq and Rabi climbed the reporters table. Mr Baidhar Mallick stood up on the Secretary's Chair. Some of the other members of BJP were seen thumping the speakers table.

Speaker Kishore Mohanty appealed to the BJP members to go to their seats and told the members that the issue would be discussed after their notice was discussed in the Business Advisory Committee.

But the members did not pay any heed to him and continued shouting.

Parliamentary affairs Minister Raghunath Mohanty told the members that the government was ready to discuss any issue raised by the members and requested them to go back to their seats, raise their issue in a dignified manner and participate in the proceedings of the house, but to no avail.

In the meantime, Mr Nalini Mohanty (Cong) and Tourism Minister Devi Mishra was seen saying something but nothing was audible in the din.

As the members continued with their agitation the speaker finding it difficult to run the house first adjourned it at 1141 hrs till 1200 hrs and then from 1200 hrs till 1255 hrs.

After the house reassembled, the BJP members again trooped into the well and shouted slogans in favour of their demand.

Meanwhile, Opposition leader J B Patnaik demanded CMs resignation because he lost the confidence of BJP members following which the Congress members rushed to the well, shouted anti-government slogans.

During the pandemonium Finance Minister P C Ghadhei presented the first supplementary budget for Rs 7587.69 crore in the house.

After the budget was presented the Speaker adjourned the house till 1030 hrs tomorrow.

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