Odisha Assembly Speaker’s microphone broken by opposition amid uproar

Bhubaneswar: As the Odisha Assembly plunged into turmoil with opposition members creating uproarious scenes over Arpan Rath rice, a BJP member reportedly climbed the Speaker’s podium and broke the microphone.

After repeated adjournments amid pandemonium, the House reassembled at 4 pm. However, similar noisy scenes were witnessed as opposition BJP members trooped into the well of the House targeting the government over mixing of par-boiled rice with the rice collected by Arpan Raths.

In the melee, BJP legislator Nauri Nayak reportedly climbed atop the Speaker’s podium and broke the microphone.

As uproarious scenes persisted with opposition BJP members storming the well and it became difficult to conduct business, the House was adjourned for one hour.

The Assembly proceedings were disrupted since morning. As soon as the House assembled for the day, BJP members trooped into the well and created uproarious scenes claiming that par-boiled rice was mixed with that collected by the Arpan Raths ahead of the inauguration of Puri Jagannath Temple Heritage Corridor Project.

As pandemonium prevailed over the issue, Speaker Pramila Mallik initially adjourned the House till 11.30 am. When the House reassembled, similar noisy scenes were witnessed and the proceedings were adjourned till 12.30 pm. However, normalcy could not be restored thereafter and the House was adjourned till 4 pm.

The BJP lawmakers also staged a demonstration outside the House holding posters as a mark of protest. They lashed out at the government claiming that Mahaprasad was prepared in Jagannath Temple using Arpan Rath rice which was mixed with par-boiled rice.

Members of the ruling BJD, on their part, also created noise accusing BJP of politicising the sensational Pari murder case in which the accused was awarded jail term by a special court in Nayagarh on Tuesday. They also staged a demonstration near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on the Assembly premises over the issue.