Student union poll issue creates furore in House

 Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly was adjourned by Speaker Surama Padhy till 4 pm on Tuesday as Opposition Congress and BJD MLAs created ruckus over different issues.

As soon as the House made obituary reference to a former MLA Sunder Mohan Majhi, Congress members, led by Taraprasad Bahinipati, rushed to the well of the House and raised slogans demanding holding of Student Union elections in different colleges and universities.

Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Monday announced that the Students’ Union elections would be held next year.Congress member Bahinipati said Student Union elections were stopped in the State since 2017 and the previous BJD government had avoided it. The new BJP government had announced to hold such elections on different campuses but avoided the exercise this year.

The BJD members raised slogans demanding action against Odisha Governor Raghubar Das’s son who has been accused of physically assaulting a government servant during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Puri in July. Though Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik was seen speaking something, she was not heard due to a din by the Congress members in the well of the House.

The BJD members also demanded expunge of the statement of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling, who demanded the arrest of Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik for creating ruckus during the Governor’s address to the House during the first phase of the session.

Unable to run the House, Speaker Surama Padhy first adjourned the House for one hour till 11.41 am. She again adjourned the proceeding till 4 pm when the scene was repeated when the House reassembled at 11.41 am.

The second phase of the Odisha Assembly session is scheduled to continue till September 13. The House will debate on budgetary demands of different departments.