Bhubaneswar: Odisha Legislative Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy suspended 12 Congress legislators from attending House proceedings for seven days due to alleged misconduct and violation of Assembly norms.

The suspension followed a proposal moved by Ruling Party Chief Whip Saroj Pradhan, which was subsequently passed in the House.

The suspended Congress MLAs include Rama Chandra Kadam (Pottangi), C S Raazen Ekka (Rajgangpur), Dasarathi Gamango (Mohana), Ashok Kumar Das (Basudevpur), Satyajeet Gamango (Gunupur), Sagar Charan Das (Bhawanipatna), Kadraka Appala Swamy (Rayagada), Prafulla Chandra Pradhan (Kandhamal), Pabitra Saunta (Koraput), Sofia Firdous (Barabati-Cuttack), Mangu Khilla (Chitrakonda), and Nilamadhab Hikaka (Bissam Cuttack).

The chaos unfolded this afternoon as soon as the House reconvened after an adjournment. The Congress legislators staged protests by beating gongs and playing flutes, causing a disruption in the Assembly.

Reacting to the suspension, Jeypore Congress legislator Tara Prasad Bahinipati criticised the move, calling it a "black day" in the history of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. "Today's decision is undemocratic and unacceptable. Congress will not tolerate this injustice," he asserted.

Bahinipati, who was absent from the Assembly due to illness, further demanded the formation of a House Committee to investigate the matter. He accused the BJP of hypocrisy, stating, "Has the BJP forgotten how they staged protests when they were in the Opposition?"

He also questioned why the Speaker did not take action against BJP legislators and Ministers who allegedly used foul language and physically confronted Congress members in the House.

The Odisha Assembly currently has 14 Congress legislators. With the suspension of 12 members, only Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati and Sanakhemundi MLA Ramesh Jena remain active in the House.

The Congress party earlier announced plans to stage a gherao protest in front of the Odisha Legislative Assembly on March 27 over growing atrocities against women.