Bhubaneswar: In anticipation of a potential law and order situation, the Commissionerate of Police has imposed prohibitory orders under BNS 163 around the Odisha Legislative Assembly, where 12 suspended Congress legislators have been staging an overnight dharna.

Senior Congress leaders, including Niranjan Patnaik, Jayadev Jena, OPCC President Bhakta Charan Das, Narasingha Mishra and Sharad Kar, attempted to meet the protesting legislators and inquire about their condition. However, senior police officials prevented them from entering the Assembly premises. Subsequently, the police detained these leaders.

Meanwhile, Congress party members staged a protest in front of the Assembly, leading to their detention as well. A scuffle broke out between the demonstrators and the police during the process. In response to the escalating situation, additional police personnel were deployed both inside and outside the Assembly premises.

The suspension of the 12 Congress legislators followed a ruling by Odisha Legislative Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy. The Speaker ordered their suspension for seven days on grounds of alleged misconduct and violation of Assembly norms. Despite the Speaker adjourning proceedings for the day, the suspended legislators continued their protest near the Speaker’s podium, vowing to extend their agitation overnight.

This evening, members of the Odisha Youth Congress staged a protest at Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar, symbolically conducting last rites for an effigy of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

The suspension was initiated based on a proposal by Government Chief Whip Saroj Pradhan, which was passed in the House. The suspended 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 protest escalated in the afternoon when the House reconvened following an adjournment. The suspended Congress legislators disrupted Assembly proceedings by beating gongs and playing flutes, further intensifying the turmoil within the House.