BJP Creates Ruckus in Odisha Assembly, Party MLA Breaks Speaker’s Mike and Throws Away Fibre Shield
The opposition BJP disrupted the proceedings of the Odisha Assembly for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday demanding resignation of the Agriculture minister for allegedly shielding the accused in the murder case of a 5-year-old girl and a CBI investigation into the incident. Rejecting the state governments Crime Branch and high court monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the case, BJP members trooped into the well of the house and at one point of time, party MLA Mohan Majhi broke the Speaker’s mike and threw away the fibre shield fitted on the podium.
Fibre shields were fitted in front of each member’s seat and also Speaker S N Patro’s chair as per the COVID-19 safety guideline. BJP members were demanding the resignation of Agriculture Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo, who has been accused of protecting Babuli Nayak, the main accused in the kidnapping and murder case of Pari and a CBI probe into the incident that occurred in Nayagarh.
Opposition Congress members, however, participated in the proceedings in the post-lunch session after the state government laid a copy of the notification on the constitution of a court monitored SIT, the BJP members insisted on a CBI probe. “There is no point in further disrupting the House after the government accepted our demand for a court monitored probe into the little girl’s kidnapping and murder,” Congress Legilsature Party leader Narasingha Mishra said.
There is also no meaning in the demand for the Sahoo’s resignation as the investigation is going to be monitored by the high court and the minister cannot influence the probe, Mishra said. Leader of Opposition P K Naiak of BJP, on the other hand, justified his party’s demand for a CBI probe saying the investigation into case needs specialised approach as her body parts were removed.
“It is suspected that an organ theft racket is involved in the incident. Therefore, a scientific investigation is required which is not possible for the Odisha police,” Naik said. He alleged that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been shielding Sahoo.
“The girl went missing on July 14 and her skeletal remains were found in the backyard of her house on July 23.Her organs have been removed and might have been transplanted in the body of some rich family’s child,” Naik said.
The BJP deputy leader in the Assembly B C Sethi said, “The BJD government has accepted the demand of the Congress and not ours. Our demand is a CBI probe and the agriculture ministers resignation. We will continue our stir till the little girl gets justice.” The saffron party MLAs also came down heavily on the police and said the Nayagarh police could not trace the culprits involved in the brutal murder of the girl even after four and half months. Though the girls kidnapping and murder took place more than four months ago, it came to limelight only after the victims parents attempted self-immolation in front of the Assembly on Tuesday. The issue has since been rocking the Assembly.
While the BJP members were busy raising slogans in the well of the House, Speaker SN Patro allowed Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Pratap Jena to initiate debate on the supplementary budget for 2020-21 fiscal. Members of the ruling BJD and opposition Congress participated in the debate and the House approved the supplementary budget for the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water department. The expenditure for other departments was approved through guillotine (without any debate).
