Odisha Assembly Speaker enforces 7-day suspension on 12 Congress leaders due to disruptive protests
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Synopsis
On March 25, Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy suspended 12 Congress legislators for seven days due to their disruptive protests regarding women's safety. The protests called for a committee formation to address women's atrocities in the state.
Key Takeaways
- 12 Congress legislators suspended for 7 days.
- Protests over atrocities against women.
- Senior leaders Bahinipati and Jena escaped suspension.
- Deputy Speaker warned against disruptive behavior.
- Congress plans a gherao on March 27.
Bhubaneswar, March 25 (NationPress) The Speaker of the Odisha Assembly, Surama Padhy, took action on Tuesday by suspending 12 out of 14 Congress legislators for a period of seven working days due to accusations of disrespecting the Speaker and disorderly conduct within the House. The Congress representatives had been engaged in noisy demonstrations while insisting on the formation of a House committee to address issues of atrocities against women in Odisha.
All suspended Congress members, which include the party’s Legislature Party leader, Rama Chandra Kadam, faced this disciplinary action following a notice presented by the government Chief Whip Saroj Kumar Pradhan during the afternoon session on Tuesday.
Notably, senior Congress figures Tara Prasad Bahinipati and Ramesh Jena have avoided suspension.
The suspended Congress members consist of Rama Chandra Kadam, C.S. Rajan Ekka, Dasarathi Gomango, Ashok Das, Satyajeet Gomango, Sagar Das, Prafula Pradhan, Sofia Firdous, Kadraka Appalaswamy, Mangu Khilla, Nilamadhab Hikaka, and Pabitra Saunta.
For several days, Congress members have been protesting in the House with gongs and other traditional instruments, resulting in multiple adjournments.
They have claimed that crimes against women have notably increased under the BJP administration in Odisha over the past nine months, and have been advocating for the establishment of a House committee.
On Monday, the Deputy Speaker of the Odisha Assembly cautioned the Congress party, urging them to refrain from causing disturbances in the House. Despite this, Congress continued their protests with musical instruments on Tuesday, prompting the suspensions.
The Congress plans to stage a gherao of the Odisha Assembly on March 27 to address issues concerning women’s safety.
In response to the suspension of the 12 Congress legislators, leaders from the main opposition party, Biju Janata Dal, labeled it an act of overreach by the ruling BJP, while Congress leaders denounced it as undemocratic.
It is worth mentioning that Speaker Surama Padhy previously suspended Congress legislator Tara Prasad Bahinipati on March 11 for seven days following a confrontation with ruling BJP members in the House.
