Chaos erupted in the Odisha Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday as lawmakers from different parties engaged in a heated scuffle, turning the assembly hall into a battleground. The uproar resulted in the suspension of Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati for seven days due to alleged indiscipline.
Trouble began as soon as the House resumed for the question hour. BJD legislators stormed into the well, chanting slogans against BJP MLA Jayanarayan Mishra for his alleged divisive remarks. Meanwhile, Congress MLAs protested against what they claimed to be rising crimes against women. Despite the commotion, the question hour continued.
The situation took a turn for the worse when some opposition members moved toward Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra while he was addressing a question. This move irked BJP lawmakers, leading to an all-out clash between members of the three major parties. Tensions peaked when Mishra and Bahinipati got into a heated argument right in the well of the House.
Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, Bahinipati alleged that Mishra had grabbed him by the collar, while also accusing BJP MLA Babu Singh of pushing opposition members. Mishra, however, denied the allegations, stating that everything was recorded on the assembly cameras. He also stood firm on his earlier remarks, where he had called the integration of western Odisha a “historic blunder,” insisting that his statement was meant to highlight the region’s development needs.
Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan distanced the government from Mishra’s statement, calling it his personal opinion. Meanwhile, BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo accused the BJP of trying to suppress the opposition’s voice, something he claimed was unprecedented in Odisha’s political history.
In response to Bahinipati’s suspension, the Congress party announced a boycott of the assembly proceedings scheduled for Wednesday. They also wrote a letter to Speaker Surama Padhy, demanding action against certain BJP legislators. BJP MLA Tankadhar Tripathy criticized both the Congress and BJD, accusing them of competing for the title of the “real opposition.” He claimed that opposition MLAs had stooped to new lows by snatching files from the housing minister and attempting to obstruct him from responding to questions.
Following his suspension, Bahinipati, accompanied by fellow Congress legislators, staged a demonstration outside the assembly, accusing the Speaker of bias. BJP MLA Irasis Acharya, however, defended the Speaker’s decision, asserting that the action taken was justified.
Adding to the drama, earlier in the day, BJD MLAs carried kerosene lanterns around the assembly building in search of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, symbolically highlighting their grievances over his perceived absence in ministerial chambers.
