The Odisha Legislative Assembly's Special Session on Thursday, 30 April erupted in uproar over the deeply disturbing incident from Keonjhar district, where tribal man Jitu Munda allegedly exhumed and carried his deceased sister's skeletal remains to a bank branch after officials reportedly demanded a death certificate and legal heir certificate to process a death claim. Congress members staged a walkout and demanded Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's resignation over the incident, which occurred in the Chief Minister's own home district.

What Happened in Keonjhar

According to available accounts, Jitu Munda, a 42-year-old tribal man from Dianali village under Patna police station limits in Keonjhar district, visited the Mallipashi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank on 27 April to withdraw money from his deceased sister Kalara Munda's account. Kalara had reportedly died without any legal heirs. Bank officials, according to the account, told Munda he was required to produce a death certificate and a legal heir certificate before any death claim could be processed.

In a state of reported distress and after allegedly visiting the bank multiple times without resolution, Munda exhumed his sister's buried remains, carried them on his shoulder, and brought them to the bank. The incident drew national attention and widespread condemnation.

Uproar in the Assembly

As soon as the Special Session commenced, Congress members, holding placards, gathered near the podium of Speaker Surama Padhy and raised slogans over the Keonjhar incident, accusing the state government of failing its most vulnerable citizens. The Congress legislators subsequently staged a 15-minute walkout from the House after the Speaker declined to allow a motion for discussion on the issue.

Senior Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati confirmed that the party had submitted a written request to the Speaker seeking permission to move a motion to ensure justice for the deceased tribal woman and her brother. The Speaker did not grant the permission, prompting the walkout. The Congress members later returned to the House and participated in the discussion on a motion moved by Chief Minister Majhi on women's participation in Indian democracy.

Congress Demands CM's Resignation

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rama Chandra Kadam, speaking to the media, said the incident had tarnished the state's image globally. "The shameful incident in the Chief Minister's home district has tarnished the state's image globally," Kadam said, demanding that Chief Minister Majhi resign on moral grounds for failing to ensure justice to a deceased woman from his own district.

Kadam also drew a pointed comparison to the 2016 Dana Majhi incident in Kalahandi, where a man was forced to carry his wife's body on his shoulder for over 10 kilometres after a government hospital allegedly denied him a hearse — an episode that had similarly shocked the nation and raised questions about institutional failures affecting tribal communities in Odisha.

Broader Context and What Comes Next

This is not the first time Odisha has faced national scrutiny over the treatment of tribal communities in distress. The Keonjhar incident has reignited calls for urgent reform of banking procedures for death claims, particularly in rural and tribal areas where documentation is often difficult to obtain. Critics argue that rigid bureaucratic requirements disproportionately burden marginalised communities who lack easy access to administrative services.

With the Assembly session under way and opposition pressure mounting, all eyes are on whether the state government will initiate a formal inquiry into the bank's conduct and announce procedural reforms to prevent a recurrence. The incident is likely to remain a flashpoint through the remainder of the session.