2 More Cong MLAs Suspended From Odisha Assembly
Bhubaneswar: Two more Congress MLAs, Tara Prasad Bahinipati and Ramesh Jena were suspended from the Odisha Assembly for seven days by the Speaker on Wednesday for their unruly behavior on the floor of the house.
On Tuesday, 12 Congress MLAs had been suspended for a week from the Assembly by the Speaker Surama Padhy.
On Wednesday, Congress activists along with their leaders held protest demonstration outside Odisha Assembly on Wednesday. BJD MLAs and supporters also took part in this demonstration. When they tried to forcefully enter the Assembly, the police personnel stopped them. It is alleged that the Congress and BJD MLAs broke the police barricade. Till the last report came in, the agitating legislators of the Congress and BJD broke the assembly gate and barricades shouting slogans and holding placards.
Unruly scenes prevailed at the Master Canteen Square in Bhubaneswar as Odisha Congress MLAs had a face off with police following their suspension from the Assembly.
According to reports, the Congress MLAs were suepnded as they staged noisy protests, beating gongs and other traditional musical instruments. They were demanding the formation of a House committee on women’s safety in Odisha alleging rise in crimes against women under the BJP’s government in the state over the last nine months.
After the suspension of the 12 Congress MLAs, the legislators spent the night in the assembly chamber before being escorted out by security forces.
It is alleged that senior Congress leaders, including Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Bhakta Charan Das, veteran Congress leaders Narasingha Mishra, Niranjan Patnaik, and Jayadev Jena were not allowed to meet the suspended members.
The protests turned violent, with clashes between the MLAs and police.
