TV
In a distinctive protest at the Odisha Legislative Assembly, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislators sprinkled holy Ganga water (Gangajal) in the Vidhan Sabha to express their dissatisfaction with the Assembly proceedings.
This occurred during the Question Hour when some members entered the chamber with brass pots, traditionally known as ‘kalash’, containing the water. The protesters were seen sprinkling the holy water both inside the House and in other places as a sign of protest.
The Speaker of the Assembly intervened, requesting the legislators to refrain from bringing the pots inside. Complying with the Speaker's directive, the BJD members moved their demonstration outside the Assembly building.
Reaction of BJD Leaders:
The protesting lawmakers alleged that the State Assembly had inherently become inauspicious, so they were sprinkling holy water to make it sacred again.
BJD MLA Goutam Buddha Das said, “Since the last few days, the sacred Odisha Assembly, the temple of Democracy, has been made unsacred by the BJP politicians and the Speaker. They have established an undemocratic and dictatorship rule in the House. They have given free entry to police & BJP goons. We are against it and are sprinkling Gangajal to make the Vidhan Sabha a holy place as it was before.”
Likewise, BJD MLA Arun Sahoo said, “Vidhan Sabha is the temple of democracy. Giving free entry to goons and attacking Opposition leaders is a complete dictatorship. With their atrocious acts, they have made this holy place unholy. So, we are sprinkling the holy water.”
BJP Terms It Drama:
Meanwhile, the BJP termed the acts of Opposition as ‘drama’ to stop the proceedings of the Assembly.
“They are the ones who left the people of Odisha to serve a person from Tamil Nadu. All they do is complete ‘drama’. I think they are directed to create the drama either by VK Pandian or the BJD president Naveen Patnaik,” stated BJP’s Saroj Padhi.
