Odisha Opp justifies boycott of Governor’s address, walk-out

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Feb 6:

Leader of the Opposition in the Odisha Assembly and senior Congress leader Narasingh Mishra today accused the Governor of being a mute spectator while democracy was being gagged and justified his party’s decision to walk out during the Governor’s address in  the House on the first day of the budget session.

“The Governor remained a mute spectator while democracy was being raped in broad daylight. Despite our complaints before him, he has taken no action. His address had no mention of either serious problems faced by the state or its people. That is why we walked out of the House in protest,” said Mishra speaking to the media.

The BJP too charged that the Governor’s address had false representations and was not based on facts.

“The Governor’s address had false representations, which were not based on facts and there is no truth in it. In today’s perspective, infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate has increased in the state/ Health services in the state are in a shambles, farmers are victims of distress sale, migration of dadan labourers is in thousands, there is no job for unemployed youths in the state, there is no facility for providing drinking water neither there is irrigation for farmers”, said Basant Panda, leader of BJP legislature party in the Odisha Assembly.

Panda said whatever has been said in the Governor’s address was all false and not based on facts.

He said the Supreme Court has issued strictures to the government on the chit fund scam, on the Itishree murder case and in the MNREGS scam to name a few. The CBI is probing the chit fund scam in the state which is rare in history, he added.

The BJD has called the Opposition’s act shameful for the Odisha Assembly.

“What the Opposition did today was a shameful act for the Odisha Assembly. The Opposition has always been saying that running the House was the job of the ruling party. The government or the ruling party always desires that the House is run smoothly and problems  are debated. But today before the House began its proceedings with the Governor’s address, the way the Opposition behaved can be termed as the most shameful act,” said Pratap Jena BJD spokesperson and Mahanga MLA.