Here is why this Congress MLA blew flying kisses to the Odisha speaker
Bhubaneswar, Nov 20: Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati evoked peals of laughter in the Assembly when he blew a flying kiss to Speaker S N Patro after being allowed to raise issues faced by his constituency.
The Jeypore MLA, who was the first to ask questions in the House, clarified that he did not mean to insult Patro and that the gesture was a mark of gratitude towards the speaker.
"I wanted to thank the Speaker. The flying kiss was a mark of my appreciation for him as he showed concern for the backward areas in my constituencies. I am indebted to the Speaker for giving me the opportunity among the 147 members of the House to raise the first question," Bahinipati told reporters outside the Assembly.
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Among other issues, the MLA drew the government's attention to the drinking water problems in his constituency.
The
lawmaker
had
last
week
raised
eyebrows
when
he
approached
Chief
Minister
Naveen
Patnaik
on
the
first
day
of
the
winter
session
and
asked,
"Apana
Khusi
Ta?
(Sir,
Are
you
happy?)"
Patnaik
had
promptly
responded,
saying
"Mu
Bahut
Khushi.
(I
am
very
happy)"
The BJD president, during his election campaigns earlier this year, often asked voters if they were happy. The phrase has gained such popularity in the state that T-shirts with 'Apana Khusi ta' written on them are being sold online.