Bhubeneswar:
A Congress lawmaker climbed onto Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat's podium and lay down on it during an agitation in the well to reiterate the demand for resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The legislator Rajendra Kumar Chatria managed to climb on to the podium after he along with two party members scuffled with the security staff in the assembly.
Unable to run the house because of the pandemonium, Amat announced adjournment of the House till 3:00 pm.
"It is unfortunate that the Hon'bl Congress members are behaving in an unruly manner," the chief minister told reporters outside the assembly.
Terming the demand for his resignation as unjustified, Patnaik said many important issues of public interest could not be taken up for discussion due to uproar by the opposition.
The Congress members have been demanding the resignation of Patnaik and pressing for action against Vedanta and other officials involved in the land acquisition for the Vedanta University project in Puri after the after the Orissa High Court termed it illegal and ordered the state government to return the land to the owners.
The winter session of the assembly which began on November 23 has been witnessing repeated adjournments and pandemonium with the opposition Congress members demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister.
Later 24 ruling BJD MLAs met the speaker in his chamber and demanded immediate action to restore normalcy in the house.
"I have heard the concerns expressed by treasury bench members. You (Congress MLAs) have the right to protest. But please do not interfere into rights of others," Amat told reporters.
NCP leader Amar Prasad Satpathy also urged the speaker to ensure order in the House or adjourn it sine die.
"You (Congress MLAs) have the right to protest. But please do not interfere into rights of others," Satpathy said.
Congress member and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh, however, reiterated the demand for return of the land acquired to Lord Jagannath stating that the HC has termed the land acquistion invalid.