Oppn seeks BJP's stand on ruckus in Orissa Assy

Bhubaneswar, Nov 27 (UNI) The Opposition Congress today questioned the participation of the BJP members in the proceedings of the House, a day after they created pandemonium and stalled the business of the Assembly.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Mr Nalini Mohanty(Cong) said the BJP members had yesterday stalled the proceedings of the House protesting the government's failure in arresting the killers of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati but today they were participating in the discussion in the House even though the killers were not arrested.

The people of the state should know their stand, they demanded.

Mr Arun Dey (NCP) wanted to know what transpired between the two warring factions of the ruling coalition partner to maintain peace. Mr Dey said the BJP legislature party leader B B Harichandan owed a moral explantation to the Assembly. The House should know what was the deal between the BJP and Chief Minister Navin Patnaik, he said.

He alleged that the members had turned the House into a platform for public exercise to get cheap publicity.

However, Mr Harichand dismissed the allegation. He said Kandhamal was a sensitive issue. The BJP members had only expressed dissatisfaction and anger over the failure of the government to arrest the killers of the Swami and demanded a discussion on the issue, he said clarifying that the demand had been accepted.

The Speaker had earlier announced that the date and time for a discussion on the Kandhamal issue would be decided by the Business Advisory Committee.

Mr Harichandan said the expectation of the Opposition that the coalition government would collapse on the issue would never be fulfilled.

Mr Umesh Swain (Cong) said whatever clarification BJP might offer, the pandemonium created by the members in the House yesterday indicated that there was no alliance and the government was reduced to a minority.

UNI BD KK RN ARB BD1725