Bhubaneswar: The opposition BJP on Thursday created a ruckus in Odisha Assembly over the Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhury’s statement against President Draupadi Murmu forcing Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukh to adjourn the house from 1034 hours to 1600hrs.
Due to the protest by the BJP members the question hour was washed out and the house could not take up the debate on the admissibility of an adjournment motion.
BJP Chief Whip Mohan Majhi condemned Choudhury for the offensive words he used against the President.
The BJP members demanded an apology from Congress President Sonia Gandhi and stern action against Adhir Ranjan Choudhury for the character assassination of the President.
Though the Speaker requested the members to leave the well, take their seats, and participate in the proceedings the agitating BJP members did not pay any heed to it.
The Speaker requested them to raise the issue during the zero hours but it did not yield any result. As the protest continued, the Speaker adjourned the house at 1034 hours till 1600 hours.
After the house was adjourned the BJP members carrying posters and placards protested outside the house demanding an apology from Sonia Gandhi and action against Adhir Ranjan Choudhury.
Outside the house, BJD Member Rajkishore Das said Choudhury’s statement is condemnable and not acceptable.
The trouble began right from the beginning when the house assembled for the day at 1030 hours to take up question hour.
As soon as Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Pramila Mallik started replying to a question of Raghuram Padal (BJD), the BJP members rushed to the well, shouted slogans, and demanded an apology from the Congress President.
The Speaker appealed to the members to go to their seats and raise the issue during zero hours but the BJP members continued their slogan shouting inside the well forcing the Speaker to adjourn the house till 1600hrs without transacting any business.
