Bhubaneswar, March 26 : The Odisha Congress on Wednesday condemned the action of Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy in suspending all the 14 party MLAs from the house for seven working days.
Addressing the media, Congress leaders accused the BJP of running a dictatorial government in the state and described the action of the ”Speaker as murder of democracy”.
Senior Congress leader and former Minister Narasingha Mishra described the Speaker’s decision to bar elected MLAs from entering the Assembly premises as completely undemocratic.
“For the first time in the history of the Odisha Assembly, the police have become the policymakers,” Mishra stated. He further alleged that the Speaker has no control over the Assembly and that the police have taken over its functioning.
The Senior Congress leader added that last night, as a former MLA, he attempted to enter the Assembly to hold discussions with the suspended Congress MLAs, which he said was within his rights. However, the police denied him entry.
He also mentioned that he tried to contact the Speaker over the phone to discuss the matter personally, but the Speaker did not respond to his calls.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Bhakta Charan Das strongly criticised the BJP government’s double standards on violence against women in the state. He expressed concern over the increasing cases of rape, gang rape, and brutal atrocities against women during the nine-month tenure of the BJP-led Mohan Majhi government.
He further alleged that security personnel misbehaved with MLAs inside the Assembly premises, injuring Congress MLA and party leader Ramachandra Kadam.
Das pointed out that although Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was enforced for security reasons, the police forcibly removed five former MLAs and senior Congress leaders who were trying to enter the Assembly.
Former Union Minister Srikant Jena accused the BJP of keeping Women’s Commissions in a suspended state in many BJP-ruled states, including Odisha.
Citing a Home Department report, Jena claimed that eight rape incidents occur in Odisha daily, calling the situation “deeply unfortunate.”
He further stated that the rising cases of sexual violence and atrocities against women in Odisha have become a social crisis. However, due to a lack of political will, the BJP government has completely failed to address the issue.
The former Union Minister urged the people of Odisha to support the Congress-led Vidhan Sabha Gherao program scheduled for March 27.
Former PCC President Jayadev Jena condemned the Speaker’s decision to suspend 14 Congress MLAs, reject the Opposition’s demand for a House Committee to investigate rising crimes against women, and dismiss the request for a statement from the Chief Minister on the issue. He described these actions as a “murder of democracy.”
Former PCC President Prasad Harichandan echoed similar concerns, stating that under the current BJP government, democratic values are being eroded daily in Odisha.
He recalled that in 1995, during the Congress government, the opposition had staged a sit-in protest inside the Assembly. However, at that time, the Speaker did not suspend any MLA from the House.(UNI)
Congress Slams Odisha Speaker for Suspending 14 MLAs
