BJP MLA attempts to drink sanitiser in Odisha Assembly over mandi issue

Bhubaneswar:  The uproar over paddy procurement turned uglier as BJP MLA Subash Chandra Panigrahi reportedly attempted suicide in the House during Budget Session of Odisha Assembly today.

The legislator from Deogarh Constituency tried to consume sanitizer to end life when Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare, Co-operation Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain was replying to the House in the afternoon.

The members including BK Arukha and Pramila Mallick managed to prevent Panigrahi from taking extreme step in the House.

"We should raise the  farmers' issue in Assembly. But, such act in the House is not acceptable," said BJD MLA Ananta Das, who represents Bhograi Assembly Constituency outside the Assembly.

Reacting to the incident, Panigrahi said, "As I had threatened to immolate self earlier over the issue, I repeated it today too. I attempted suicide by drinking sanitiser in the House."

In the House, he had staged protest during first session demanding the statement from the Government over the irregularities in paddy procurement.

Earlier during first session of the Budget in February , the BJP MLA had threatened to immolate self over alleged irregularities in paddy procurement in the State.