Ruling party ‘ran away’ from Odisha Assembly: Narasingha

Reported by Santosh Jagdev
Bhubaneswar, Dec 6:

Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly Narasingha Mishra today condemned the two-faced nature of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the the matter of the House being adjourned sine die halfway through the winter session.

“While the Chief Minister tells the media outside the House that a lot of pending business could not be transacted because of the confrontationist attitude of the Opposition, the government chief whip moves a motion in the House calling for the adjournment of the session since there is no business left to be taken up,” Mishra said at a press conference at his residence this afternoon.

This just goes to show that the Chief Minister, who is the leader of the House, has one face inside the House and another outside it, he said.

The non-cooperation of the ruling party to take up all issues like mining scam, chit fund scam, land scam and unemployment by adjourning the house before time.

“Its unfortunate for the state and we condemn the attitude of the Chief Minister. As far as the cooperation of the opposition is concerned, we have extended our cooperation many a time by making a statement inside the House and by writing letters to the Chief Minister whenever the matter involves the dignity of the House,” Mishra said.

The leader of Opposition said he had written two letters to the Chief Minister asking him for a discussion so as to find a way out of the impasse, but the CM did not bother to even acknowledge either of them, let alone calling for a discussion.

“It is because it was a pre-planned conspiracy of the ruling party to see that opposition does not raise its voice, issues raised by the opposition are not discussed inside the House and somehow or the other the supplementary budget is passed. Carry through some of the Bills and run away. That seems to have been the plan of their party,” the Bolangir legislator said.

“The ruling party ran away because it knew that once there is a discussion on the chit fund scam or mining scam or land scam, they will be caught on the wrong foot and there would be no escape. I, all the legislators of my party and the Congress party as a whole condemn this Hitlerian attitude of the chief minister,” he added.

When asked whether the Speaker was part of the conspiracy, Mishra replied; “His activities and actions certainly raise very strong doubt  on this score. I have reason to believe  that Speaker is also a part of the conspiracy.”

Mishra  said the CM was running away from the issue of chit fund scam and is fearful of its consequences. “Who is Saroj Sahoo? What is his role in party affairs? Why is the CM is silent on the Sahoo’s CBI interrogation?b All these questions would have been raised in the House if it had not been adjourned before time,” the leader of the Opposition said.

Mishra said his party members will move from door to door to make people aware about the scams in the BJD government in the coming days.