TV
A political storm brewed in the Odisha Legislative Assembly after BJP MLA Padmalochan Panda brought a breach of privilege notice on Friday against five Congress legislators, accusing them of violating the House rules.
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The notice has been filed against Ramachandra Kadam, Tara Bahinipati, Sofia Firdous, Ashok Das, and C.S Rajan Ekka.
According to Panda, the Congress MLAs made public statements in the media regarding their position on the trust vote, even before the Assembly Speaker had formally accepted the no-confidence motion.
“This violates the decorum and privileges of the House. What should have been said on the Floor of Odisha Assembly was spoken outside to the media, which is against legislative procedure,” alleged the BJP legislator.
“Assembly is a sacred temple of democracy. The Congress legislators should have submitted the no-confidence motion to the Speaker in the House. Whether she will accept it or not is her sole discretion. Instead, they revealed the things to the media, for which I have brought the ‘breach of privilege’ notice against five of them,” Padmalochan Panda stated.
Reacting to the notice, Congress MLA Ashok Das countered by saying, “Let the government come for a discussion instead of targeting us over procedural technicalities.”
“The issue of premature leak, which they are raising, must be debated in the House. Simply saying anything won’t suffice. Facts should be provided to the Assembly, and the matter should be discussed on the Floor. As per the rules, we are to submit the motion through the Secretary. After which, the Speaker may or may not accept it,” the Congress MLA added.
The issue has now added further tension in the Assembly, as the Opposition and treasury benches brace for a heated debate over parliamentary conduct and the legality of statements made outside the House.
