Odisha Assembly Adjourned Amid Ruckus Over Mango Kernel Deaths
Bhubaneswar: The winter session of Odisha Assembly began on a stormy note as the House was adjourned till 12.25 pm amid pandemonium by opposition members over the mango kernel death issue.Soon after the question hour commenced, opposition members were on their feet staging protest over a number of issues and the performance of the government.
While BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain raised questions about constitutional safeguards, Congress legislators trooped into the well of the House attacking the government over the deaths of three women allegedly after consumption of mango kernel gruel in Kandhamal.
They held Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi responsible for the tragedy and demanded his resignation. This led to a heated exchange between the ruling BJP and opposition members.
While Speaker Surama Padhy said that the issue can be discussed after the question hour, uproar by opposition members continued. As uproarious scenes prevailed, the Speaker found it difficult to conduct business and adjourned the House till 12.25 pm.
Earlier, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi moved obituary motion and expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of former members of the Assembly recently. Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik also conveyed his condolences, along with Congress Legislature Party Leader Ramachandra Kadam and CPI (M) MLA Laxman Munda, who mourned the loss of the former members. In a show of respect, members observed one-minute silence for the departed souls.
Notably, the Winter Session of the Assembly began today. It is scheduled to run till December 31.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is scheduled to present a Supplementary Budget for the current year, 2024-25, in the House today
