Bhubaneswar: The Orissa assembly was
thrown into turmoil on Friday as slogan-shouting Opposition
Congress members stormed into the well and tried to climb on
the Speaker's podium over the issue of alleged suicide by
farmers in the state due to "crop loss" and debt burden.
As soon as the House commenced and the Question Hour
was taken up, Congress legislators suddenly started flaunting
posters of farmers, who they alleged, had ended their lives
following crop failure.
Lashing out at the BJD government for rejecting the
Opposition demand, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh said
since their plea was turned down his party members would hold
silent prayer as a tribute to the dead farmers.
As the Congress members began the "silent prayer",
Speaker Pradip Amat ruled that no other business outside that
mentioned in the order sheet should be reported in the media,
triggering sharp protests from Opposition as well as
media persons covering the proceedings from the press gallery.
Angry Congress members trooped into the well shouting
slogans alleging that attempts were being made to stifle the
media, prompting the Chair to adjourn the house till 11.30 am,
while journalists decided to boycott the proceedings.
With pandemonium continuing, the House was adjourned
thrice for ten minutes each even as Parliamentary Affairs
Minister Raghunath Mohanty appealed to media persons to end
their boycott.
However, Mohanty's appeal went unheeded by
mediapersons who stuck to the decision to boycott the assembly
proceedings.
When the house reassembled at 12 noon, the
Parliamentary Affairs minister appealed to the Speaker to
reconsider his ruling and not to impose any curb on the press
which had all along been fair in coverage of the house.
The Speaker clarified that he had no intention to gag
the media and put undue restriction on its functioning and
freedom and this prompted press to end the boycott.
However, the house again plunged into turmoil during
calling attention when Congress members reiterated the demand
for homage to the farmers who had committed suicide.
As the leader of opposition alleged flouting of
traditions, Congress members stormed into the well amid slogan
shouting. Some of them even tried to climb on the Speaker's
podium and table besides pulling his mike.
As uproarious scenes prevailed, the house was again
adjourned till 1 pm.
PTI