Congress brings privilege notice against Odisha law minister

Bhubaneswar: Opposition Congress today moved a privilege notice against Odisha Law Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo alleging that he misled the Assembly while making a statement on April 4.

The notice was brought by Congress Chief Whip Taraprasad Bahinipati who also demanded setting up a special committee to consider this matter as the law minister heads the existing privilege committee.

Bahinipati said the law minister in his statement had claimed that the leader of opposition tried to mislead the House on alleged receipt of funds by the ruling BJD from chit fund firms.

He said, the minister told the Assembly that "This is not happening for the first time that the leader of opposition tried to mislead the House. The time of the House was spoiled by raising the case of misbehaviour towards a woman earlier.

Later the leader of opposition had tendered apology over this issue."

However, the statement of the law minister was not based on truth, Bahinipati mentioned in the privilege notice.

"You can verify the recordings of the House. The minister has tried to mislead the House and the people of Odisha by giving an untrue statement," the Congress chief whip said.

Demanding that the minister be punished for making false statement in the House, Bahinipati said outside the

Assembly that Sahoo had raised the case in the House based on a newspaper report. The leader of the opposition was in no way connected to raising this (alleged rape case) matter in the Assembly.

"Neither the issue was raised by the leader of the opposition nor had he tendered apology in the House as said by the minister," Bahinipati added.