Odisha Assembly Speaker expunges ‘mental disorder’ remark made against Leader of Opposition

Bhubaneswar: An allegedly derogatory remark made on September 28 by former minister and senior BJD leader Arun Sahoo that the Leader of Opposition (LoP) has been suffering from ‘mental disorders’ was expunged today from records following a directive of the Odisha Assembly Speaker in this regard.

Defending his party, Sahoo had used the remark against LoP Jayanarayan Mishra on the Floor of the House during its Monsoon Session after a ruckus created by the Opposition party.

The remarks had triggered strong resentment in the House and considering the seriousness of the matter, Speaker Pramila Mallik ordered to expunge the offensive words from the official records.

Meanwhile, the LoP Mishra reacted to the recent development and thanked the Speaker for her act but said that the step taken does not suffice the need. “Nayagarh MLA Arun Sahoo should apologise for his wrongdoing,” Mishra expressed. At the same time, the LoP requested the Speaker to remove the suspension order clamped on two BJP leaders namely Mohan Charan Majhi and Mukesh Mahaling.