Third successive day of ruckus in Odisha Assembly over hooch tragedy

For the third consecutive day on Thursday, the Opposition BJD and Congress created a ruckus in the Odisha Assembly forcing Speaker Surama Padhy to adjourn the House till 4 pm.  As soon as the House assembled for Question Hour and the Speaker took her seat, BJD and Congress members cornered the BJP government over various issues, especially, ED raids and the Berhampur hooch tragedy.

Opposition members were seen assembling at the well and shouting slogans against the BJP government in the state and the Centre. Speaker Surama Padhy’s efforts to pacify the Opposition legislators failed as they continued to raise slogans from the well of the House. The Speaker first adjourned the proceeding till 11.30 am and later till 4 pm.

BJD accused the Mohan Majhi government of trying to suppress the hooch tragedy and demanded the immediate resignation of Excise Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan. They cornered the minister for not visiting the victims till now.

“Three days have gone by, but the Excise Minister has not even visited the victims or talked to the kin of the deceased. They are now trying to suppress the matter by suspending or transferring one or two officers. So, we demand the resignation of the Excise Minister and an apology from the Chief Minister,” said BJD MLA Goutam Buddha Das.

On the other hand, Congress MLA Tara Bahunipati accused the BJD and BJP government of being involved in illegal liquor smuggling together.

“Both, BJD and BJP are hand in glove in illegal liquor smugglings and have always backed liquor mafias. Until some serious steps are not taken, the unscrupulous liquor sale will continue not only in Ganjam but entire Odisha,” Tara alleged.

However, BJP MLA Manoranjan Dyan Samantara slammed the Opposition and asked them to wait and watch until concrete steps are taken in this regard.

“Probe has already begun and at least eight people have already been arrested. There is no doubt we are a democratic country and they have all the right to ask questions, but the Opposition has to have patience. They are unnecessarily disrupting the House and creating a ruckus,” Samantara maintained.