Odisha Assembly disrupted over Panchayati Raj Diwas and women’s safety issues

Bhubaneswar, March 7: The second phase of the Odisha Assembly’s budget session began with chaos on Friday as opposition members disrupted proceedings shortly after the House convened.

As the question hour commenced, BJD legislators protested the state government’s decision to shift Panchayati Raj Diwas from March 5 (Biju Patnaik’s birth anniversary) to April 24. Meanwhile, Congress MLAs raised slogans over the alleged rise in crimes against women in the past eight months.

Despite repeated appeals for order from Speaker Surama Padhy, opposition members stormed the well of the House, leading to an adjournment till 12 noon. However, when the session resumed, similar disruptions continued, forcing another adjournment until 4 pm.

Outside the Assembly, BJD legislators staged a protest near Biju Patnaik’s statue, while Congress MLAs held a separate demonstration near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue.

BJD MLA Arun Sahoo criticized the government’s decision, demanding the reinstatement of March 5 as Panchayati Raj Diwas, claiming the people of Odisha were hurt by the change.

However, Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Naik refuted the allegations, stating that Biju Patnaik was a leader beyond party lines and accusing BJD of using his legacy for political gain. He pointed out that the BJD had removed Biju Patnaik’s image from party posters during the last elections, questioning their commitment to his legacy.

The Minister further defended the government, stating that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had organized a state-level celebration of Biju Patnaik’s birth anniversary, even inviting Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik. He accused the BJD of disrupting Assembly proceedings in the name of the former leader.