Stalemate in Orissa Assembly over Naxalite attack

Bhubaneswar, Feb 20 (UNI) Stalemate continued for the second day today in the Orissa Assembly with the Opposition Congress demanding a debate on their motion on the Naxalite attack in Nayagarh.

The House was adjourned twice and finally for lunch till 1500 hours as the agitating Opposition shouted slogans and occupied the well disrupting the Question Hour.

Yesterday, the House witnessed pandemonium leading to a scuffle between the Opposition and Treasury bench members over the issue and adjournment for the day without transacting any business.

As the House assembled today to take up the Question Hour, leader of Opposition J B Patnaik stood up and reiterated the demand for a discussion on the motion moved by them.

Speaker Maheswar Mohanty, however, ruled that the motion would be taken up tomorrow and appealed to the Opposition to cooperate and take part in the proceedings.

The Leader of Opposition said the Opposition would participate in the Question Hour provided the Speaker assured them that the motion would be taken up for discussion after the Question Hour.

At this Parliamentary Affairs Minister Raghunath Mohanty said since the Chair had already given a direction to take up the motion for discussion tomorrow, the Opposition should participate in the proceedings without wasting time.

However,the Opposition was in no mood to buy this logic and insisted on a discussion today.

Meanwhile, Mr Tarapradsad Bahinipati, Mr Satyabhushan Sahu and Padmalochan Panda (all Cong) trooped into the well and shouted slogans.

Mr Bahinipati stood up on the chair of the Assembly Secretary, snatched the calling bell from the Speaker's podium and started pressing it.

His party colleague Anup Sai tore the rule book lying on the reporter's table.The Speaker then said, ''The government might not be prepared for a discussion today.'' But Parliamentary Affairs Minister Raghunath Mohanty stood up to say that the government was prepared for a discussion but maintained that it would be taken up tomorrow. He appealed to the Opposition members and leaders to participate in the budget discussion scheduled to begin from today.

The Opposition, however, continued to shout and the Speaker adjoured the House at 1042 hrs to till 1130 hrs.

After the House reassembled, Deputy Speaker Prahalad Dora asked Mr Kalpataru Das (BJD) to make his special mention.Soon after Mr.Das rose and went ahead with his special mention,the Leader of Opposition again stood up and reiterated his demand.

He accused the government of adopting a 'delaying tactics' and demanded a discussion today. The Opposition members were then seen on their feet and rushed to the well demanding a discussion on the Nayagarha issue of February 15.

Finding it difficult to run the House the Deputy Speaker adjourned it till 1500 hours.

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