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House witnesses noisy scenes

BHUBANESWAR: Unruly scenes were witnessed in the Orissa Assembly on Tuesday with the Opposition parties disrupting the proceedings.

While the Opposition stalled the proceedings in the pre-lunch session over the alleged breach of security by the Special Protection Group personnel during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit, they staged a walkout in the afternoon after the Speaker did not allow a discussion on the ongoing lawyers’ agitation.

The legislators belonging to different Opposition parties first rushed to the well demanding a discussion on issues pertaining to the proposed bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri hills and the agitation by lawyers in western and southern region of the State.

The Opposition members were about to return to their seats after Speaker Maheswar Mohanty assured to take the issue of lawyers’ agitation at a convenient time.

But they stayed back and continued to disrupt the proceedings after a ruling Biju Janata Dal legislator made a special mention raising the issue of alleged breach of security during Mr. Gandhi’s tour of the State.

Bharatiya Janata Dal member Kalpataru Das said the unscheduled visit of Mr. Gandhi to tribal hamlets in Koraput and Ganjam had made the local police and administration panic.

The SPG personnel who were in charge of the security of Mr. Gandhi had not informed the local administration about it, he said.

The Congress legislators, however, raised objections to Mr. Das’ words saying that it was an issue to be discussed in the State Assembly.

When the Opposition legislators continued their protest, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings till 3 p.m.

Trouble started again when the House reassembled in the afternoon.

The Opposition staged a walkout when the Speaker did not pay any heed to their demand for a discussion on the lawyers’ agitation.

The lawyers’ agitation issue should be discussed in the House as it had affected the justice delivery process in several districts, the Opposition said.

Lawyers in those districts have been agitating since a long time demanding establishment of permanent Benches of the High Court in their regions.

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