Agniveer reservation announcement: Congress moves breach of privilege notice against Odisha CM

The Odisha Assembly proceedings witnessed uproarious scenes with Congress moving a breach of privilege notice against Chief Minister Mohan Majhi regarding a recent announcement made by him on reservation for the Agniveers.

A discussion was initiated in the House after the Speaker accepted the notice on Monday. However, the Opposition members created ruckus when Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling was reading out the announcement made by Odisha CM in the Assembly. Both BJD and Congress MLAs created ruckus over the announcement of a 10 per cent reservation and 5-year age relaxation for the Agniveers.

“Before the announcement of any government yojana, the House should be taken into confidence. It is the rule. The Chief Minister has broken the rule for which we have brought a breach of privilege notice against him. They are new and their government is new. Committing mistakes is par for the course for them. But they should accept their mistakes,” said Pramila Mallik, Opposition Chief Whip.

Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati questioned how the Odisha CM made such an announcement outside the Assembly when the House was in session.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA Irasis Acharya also brought a breach of privilege notice against Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati. “Before coming to Odisha Assembly, I saw various media houses reported about opposition move to bring privilege motion and create ruckus. Hence, I have moved a notice as what is going to happen in Assembly cannot be mentioned outside without the consent of the Speaker.”

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Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said, “I moved the notice as the CM didn’t taken the House into confidence and made the Agniveer announcement outside. The CM should have made such announcement inside the Odisha Assembly.”

Bahinipati further said that the allegations levelled against me are baseless. Meanwhile, following the ruckus, the Speaker adjourned the House till 4 pm today.