Pandemonium in Odisha assembly as BJP, Congress MLAs scuffle

A heated altercation between BJP MLA Jaynarayan Mishra and Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati quickly escalated into a physical confrontation

Published on: Mar 11, 2025, 16:29:37 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

The Odisha Assembly on Tuesday saw members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition Congress lawmakers engage in an altercation leading to the adjournment of the House proceedings several times.

BJP MLA Tankadhar Tripathy said that the behaviour of the opposition members in the assembly was unacceptable. (PTI photo)

During Question Hour, a heated altercation broke out between BJP MLA Jaynarayan Mishra and Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati which quickly escalated into a physical confrontation.

Mishra rushed towards Bahinipati, who was standing in front of urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra and allegedly pushed him.

“Mishra caught hold of my shirt collar and pushed me. I was requesting minister Mohapatra to stop giving a reply when the House was not in order. I requested him with folding hands. But Mishra suddenly came up to me and caught hold of my collar,” Bahinipati said, who then tried to climb onto the Speaker’s podium and break the microphone forcing Speaker Surama Padhy to adjourn the House.

“The Speaker should treat all parties equally. But she is killing democracy. When we requested the minister to stop his speech, MLA Jay Narayan Mishra grabbed me by my collar. As they have majority, they made us to leave House by scuffling with us,” alleged Bahinipati.

Also Read: 403 migrant workers from Odisha died in last ten years: State govt data

The BJD members on the other hand demanded a statement from state chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi over Mishra’s statement two days ago referring to the merger of erstwhile Koshala region with Odisha in 1936 as a “historical mistake”.

BJP MLA Tankadhar Tripathy said that the behaviour of the opposition members in the assembly was unacceptable.

“Opposition is part of a democracy. Limits should be drawn in the House. While the urban development minister was replying to a question in the House, the BJD and the Congress MLAs tried to break the mic and took the files away from his table. This is not acceptable in a democracy,” Tripathy said.

BJP MLA Ashok Mohanty said BJD which was ruling the state for the last 24 years was wilfully stalling the proceedings of the House.

“They did not even hesitate to scuffle with a minister. This is very unfortunate. I think they don’t have decency and morality,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

Home/Cities/Others/Pandemonium In Odisha Assembly As BJP, Congress MLAs Scuffle