Congress wants to washout Assembly session with disruption: Odisha Minister

Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan accused Congress leaders of orchestrating a plot to disrupt the current Legislative Assembly session through their ‘unruly behaviour’.

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In a press conference held in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, Harichandan claimed that the Opposition is deliberately causing disorder, thereby stalling critical discussions, particularly those concerning the ‘safety of women’.

Accusations made by the Minister

The Law Minister has dismissed the party's appeals for a House Committee, describing these demands as 'unreasonable'. He asserted that only when any serious incidents occur should committees be established to probe it, and accused the Opposition of squandering precious time of the legislature by creating pandemonium and deterring its businesses.

The Minister reproached recent disorderly conduct within the Assembly, criticising it as disrespectful to the 'sacred House'. He castigated the Congress party for ‘breaching the democratic protocols’ by taking over the Assembly hall overnight after a suspension, alleging this was a deliberate political manoeuvre for personal advantage.

Harichandan also alluded to supposed instructions from Delhi to prolong the obstruction until March 27, suggesting that such actions are historically unforgivable.

In a broader critique, Harichandan also cited past failures in women's safety, naming the Chhabirani, Andhuni, and Anjana gangrape incidents. The Minister posed the question of accountability for these unresolved cases, scrutinising the current Opposition party BJD’s association with Congress and casting doubt on their genuine intentions.

“Doing ‘goondaraj’ in the Legislative Assembly, behaving in a very irrelevant manner inside the House, using filthy language, and beating gongs and cymbals and blowing trumpets when daily proceedings are underway, is not only unparliamentary act but also a grave offense,” the Law Minister alleged while spewing venom against the Congress.

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“This is a well-planned conspiracy on the part of the party (Congress),” the Minister added.

No comments were received from the Congress in this regard.