Odisha Congress MLA Lifts Chair Before Speaker's Podium As Notice Rejected

Odisha Assembly Speaker S N Patro on Tuesday dubbed as “inappropriate” the behaviour of senior Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati who lifted a chair in front of the Speaker's podium before putting it down after his notice for a discussion on the alleged irregularities in the mining sector was rejected.

Mr Bahinipati, the chief whip of the party, also threw away his headphone while protesting against the Speaker's decision in the well of the House.

“You are a senior member of the House and this is not the appropriate behaviour in the Assembly,” Mr Patro said.

The Congress leader demanded a discussion on the "mining irregularities" through an adjournment motion, which was rejected by the Speaker.

He alleged that the mine owners are looting Odisha and demanded action against them.

The Congress member had first raised the issue during the Zero Hour and again in the post-lunch session. He later staged a walkout.

Opposition BJP chief whip Mohan Majhi claimed that he sees hands of the Congress leader behind the Speaker's rejection of the notice for discussion.

He alleged that Congress leaders were hand in glove with the government in the alleged scam.

Mr Bahinipati said, “I will resign from politics if the BJP leader can prove that Congress leaders or MLAs are involved in the mining irregularities.”

He alleged that thousands of crores of rupees are being looted and the mineral thieves go scot-free.

Responding to the charges of the Congress and the BJP, government chief whip Pramila Mallick said, "Making allegations on mining irregularities have been a habit of opposition members. When they do not have any issue, they raise it."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)