Oppn MLAs gherao speaker in his chamber, 4 Bills passed amid ruckus in House

Opposition BJP and Congress MLAs on Wednesday gheraoed Speaker S N Patro in his Assembly chamber after he adjourned proceedings for an hour during the pre-lunch session which was later extended till 4 pm owing to a ruckus created in the House by the members.

Noisy scenes were witnessed in the Assembly during the day as legislators of the two parties staged agitations in its well, opposing the speaker's decision to reject a notice for an adjournment motion seeking discussion on alleged mining irregularities.

As soon as the Question Hour began at 10.30 am, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Narasingha Mishra urged the Speaker to accept an adjournment notice for talks on mining scams.

The speaker, however, turned down the CLP leader's request, following which Congress and BJP members rushed to the well of the House and raised slogans against the government.

Unable to run the proceedings, the speaker adjourned the house till 11.30 am.

Shortly after, members of the two parties gheraoed the speaker in his chamber to press for their demand.

With Patro still held up in his chamber, Deputy Speaker Rajanikant Singh presided over the House at 11.30 am and further extended the adjournment till 4 pm.

Later, the speaker told reporters, ''Opposition members, led by Narasingha Mishra, came to my chamber and asked me to allow a discussion on mining-related issues. The treasury bench members were also present.

''I explained to them why I rejected their adjournment notice and advised them to raise the issue during the zero hour. But they stuck to their demands.'' However, the Speaker was allowed to go home for his lunch.

When the House reassembled at 4 pm, a similar situation prevailed and a section of MLAs belonging to the two opposition parties continued with the gherao in the speaker’s room. The opposition members kept guard outside his chamber and he was unable to leave it. The deputy speaker presided over the House amidst protection by the marshal who guarded the two entry points to the podium. Four Bills were passed in the House even as the opposition members continued to shout anti-government slogans in the well of the Assembly.

“We allowed the Speaker to go home on humanitarian ground as he informed us that he will visit a doctor during lunch hour. But he (speaker) had not adjourned the House when a Congress MLA fell ill during a protest in the House two days ago. “If the speaker said that he was not gheraoed, it will be an unfortunate statement,” Mishra told reporters.

Several mining scams have been unearthed in the state over the past decade.

Mishra, on his part, claimed that such matters still hold relevance, and there is no harm in initiating a discussion over them.

Condemning the ruckus made by the opposition members, senior BJD MLA P K Deb said the agitating legislators created commotion over a subject that's no longer in the “limelight”.

“BJD condemns the move by Opposition members. Though they were demanding discussion on farmers’ issue, now they are raising the mining issue which is not in the limelight now. This is called shifting of goal post in politics. “When a playing team sees that its tactics are not yielding any result, they immediately change their strategy by shifting their goal post. The Opposition parties are attempting to do the same here,” Deb said.

Reacting to Deb’s “shifting of goal post” comment, the CLP leader said the opposition parties had ensured discussion on irrigation, paddy procurement, and other issues related to farmers and farming in the House in the last two days. “Who is changing the goal post? Those who are making such types of remarks are not eligible to be in the ruling party and it could be that they are trying to join the opposition. That is why they are making confusing statements”, Mishra said. BJP leaders alleged that the government wanted to avoid a discussion on the matter.

''It is now clear that the government in connivance with mining mafia is looting mineral resources of the state. Had the government been transparent, it would have agreed to hold a discussion in the House,'' BJP chief whip Mohan Majhi said. Majhi also condemned the passing of four important Bills in the House in absence of the Opposition. “We will again raise the issue of mining irregularities on Thursday,” he said.