Odisha Speaker suspends two BJP lawmakers who flung pulses in house

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Speaker Pramila Mallik on Thursday suspended BJP chief whip Mohan Charan Majhi and MLA Mukesh Mahaling for allegedly throwing daal (pulses) at the Speaker’s podium in the state assembly.

Both the leaders have been suspended for the rest of the monsoon session till October 4.

“We are strongly condemning the behaviour. The Speaker’s chair has a dignity and we condemn the attempts to smear the dignity of the speaker's chair,” said Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, a BJD MLA.

The assembly witnessed ruckus on the fourth day of the monsoon session as BJP members protested demanding removal of controversial remarks made by BJD leader and Nayagarh MLA Arun Sahoo against Leader of Opposition Jaya Narayan Mishra from the house proceedings.

Sahoo had earlier said that Mishra and other opposition leaders are suffering from mental disorder. He urged everyone to come to the house with a good mental health condition.

The Nayagarh MLA was countering LoP Mishra and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Narasingha Mishra who tried to corner the ruling party by raising the issue of 5T secretary’s chopper rides to different places of the state and his conduct of grievance meetings in 190 places.

The BJP leaders later demanded the Speaker to expunge the particular remarks of Sahoo from his statement. However, Mallik avoided the demand by assuring to look into the matter later.

The enraged BJP leaders threw the daal at the speaker’s podium. Later, the Speaker suspended Majhi and Mahaling for the act.

“The allegations of throwing daal at the speaker are false. I am surprised how the Speaker Madam took the decision without watching the visuals. I have neither thrown nor gifted daal to speaker madam. I am sad for being suspended without any fault,” said Majhi later.