As Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat asked ministers to reply to questions put by treasury bench members, Opposition members of the legislative assembly rushed towards his podium shouting slogans at the top of their voice. Accusing the Biju Janata Dal government of mishandling the situation arising out of the Malkangiri collector's abduction incident, a section of Congress MLAs succeeded in occupying the speaker's podium despite resistance from marshals while others continued slogan shouting from the well.
With Opposition members occupying the speaker's podium, the ruling BJD members also rushed there to drive them away. As the treasury bench members and opposition MLAs virtually clashed with each other on the podium, the speaker adjourned the house till 3 pm.
Admitting that the ruling party members had also climbed the speaker's podium, senior BJD member and former parliamentary affairs minister Padmanav Behera clarified that they had no intention of creating any unpleasant situation. "The BJD members went to the podium to request the agitating opposition members to return to their seats for facilitating a discussion on the collector abduction incident," Behera said.
Meanwhile, Congress MLAs criticised the state government and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, accusing them of not taking the House into confidence. "The government announcement regarding the halt of combing operations outside while the assembly is in session," alleged the leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh.
The House was adjourned after only four minutes of transacting business.
