Bhubaneswar: The second phase of the Odisha Assembly’s budget session began on a stormy note on Thursday, with opposition BJD and Congress MLAs creating a ruckus inside the House over separate issues.

BJD legislators protested against the Odisha government's decision to shift the date of Panchayati Raj Diwas from March 5 to April 24, calling it an insult to former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik. On the other hand, Congress members raised concerns over the alleged rise in atrocities against women in the state.

As soon as the House assembled, members of both parties shouted slogans from their seats, stalling the question hour. The chaos escalated as BJD and Congress MLAs stormed into the well of the House, with Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati and BJD MLA Adhiraj Panigrahy attempting to climb onto the Speaker’s podium.

With the uproar making it impossible to proceed with discussions, Speaker Surama Padhy adjourned the House till 12 noon. Following the adjournment, BJD legislators staged a dharna in front of the Biju Patnaik statue on the Assembly premises, while Congress MLAs demonstrated near the Mahatma Gandhi statue.

Uproarious scenes continued after the House reassembled at 12 noon, following which the Speaker adjourned it till 4 PM.

"The people of Odisha, especially the admirers of Biju Babu, are outraged by this disrespect to the legendary leader. The government must explain why it has changed the date of Panchayati Raj Diwas and must immediately restore March 5 as the official date," said BJD MLA Arun Sahoo while speaking to reporters outside the House.

Sahoo also questioned whether the BJP-led government had passed a formal resolution to declare April 24 as Panchayati Raj Diwas.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati highlighted concerns over women's safety in Odisha, citing multiple incidents of sexual violence against young girls. “A Class-X student has become pregnant, a Class-VI girl from the Chief Minister’s region was recently raped, and girl students in hostels are facing harassment and torture. We will not remain silent on these issues," he said.