Bhubaneswar: Odisha Assembly today witnessed pandemonium and was adjourned several times with the Congress MLAs protesting police action against students and youth leaders of the party for their alleged involvement in the egg hurling and black flag demonstration before the chief minister's cavalcade.
The issue was raised by the opposition chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati of Congress during Zero Hour where his party colleagues condemned police action against students and youth leaders.
“When the Rayagada DWO (District Welfare Officer) suicide case occurred, no action was taken against concerned district collector or PA, Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), whereas in the egg attack case, police immediately lodged cases against some student leaders,” Bahinipati said.
As mark of protest, the Congress members rushed to the well of the House and disrupted the proceedings. The treasury bench members also opposed the Congress members by standing on their seats.
Unable to run the house, Speaker Niranjan Pujari first adjourned the House for half an hour and subsequently thrice till 5 pm.
The students and youth Congress activists had on Thursday staged black flag demonstration and allegedly hurled eggs at the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's cavalcade at Sachivalaya Marg when he was on his way to attend the annual function of the students' union at Vani Vihar in Utkal University campus.
The police arrested six activists of the Congress and booked them under section 307 of the IPC. “How can police arrest people under section 307 of the IPC when chief minister is not injured. Hurling eggs should not be treated as an attempt to kill,” said BJP legislature party leader Basant Kumar Panda.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Police has suspended two officers including an officer of the rank of assistant commissioner of police (ACP) on charge of negligence of duty during Patnaik's movement.
