Bhubaneswar: Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla alleging breach of parliamentary privilege by two senior police officials in Odisha.

In his letter, the two-time Congress MP has alleged breach of parliamentary privilege by Director General of Police (DGP) YB Khurania and Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jagmohan Meena in the capital city on March 26.

As per the allegations, Ulaka was illegally detained by the police personnel while he was trying to enter the Odisha Assembly on March 26 in his capacity as an MP.

The Koraput MP was allegedly heckled, manhandled and forcibly stopped from entering the Assembly before his detention for around three hours. Ulaka could not attend the Parliament due to his detention, it is alleged.

“Despite clearly identifying myself as an MP and asserting my democratic and constitutional right to access the Assembly premises, I was heckled, manhandled, forcibly stopped and illegally detained at Reserve Office Bhubaneswar for more that three hours, resulting in my inability to attend Parliament on March 26,” Ulaka said in his letter.    

This conduct constitutes a grave breach of parliamentary privilege under Article 105 of the Constitution and Rule 222 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. Such actions obstruct the functioning of an elected representative and challenge the dignity of the House itself, he added.

The Congress MP has urged the Lok Sabha Speaker to refer the issue to the Committee of Privileges for immediate and appropriate action against the officers concerned.

Notably, Ulaka had tried to enter the Odisha Assembly following the suspension of the Congress party MLAs for their ‘unruly’ behaviour in the House.

The Congress legislators were seeking discussions and formation of a House committee over the ‘rise’ in crimes against the women in Odisha.

The Congress party also held an agitation in the capital city here and tried to gherao the Assembly over the issue on March 27.

Several police personnel and Congress workers were injured in scuffle during the agitation. Some agitators allegedly pelted stones at the security personnel. The police resorted to baton charge, fired water cannons and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the protestors.

In a related development, Ulaka met Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in Delhi today and informed him about the ‘police excesses’ against the agitating Congress workers.