Key Points
BJP criticizes Congress for Assembly disruption
Claims disruptions for political gain
Congress demands women's safety committee
Speaker suspends Congress MLAs
Speaking to the mediapersons here on Wednesday, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan also alleged that the opposition BJD and Congress have been disrupting the house since the last 13 days for their political gains.
He alleged that both the Congress and BJD had failed to provide justice to the victims in many women atrocity-related cases during their rule in the state in the past.
Reacting to the Congress' demand for the formation of a house committee on women atrocity cases, Harichandan said: "I want to make it clear that according to the rules and procedures, if any major incident takes place, a house committee is formed to investigate the matter. The house committee visits the incident spot for fact-finding. All the congress leaders are aware of this."
He termed the demand to form a House committee for investigation into all the incidents of crime against women in the recent period as unreasonable and outlandish.
The Law Minister claimed that Congress leaders also know the fact and their only aim is to stall the Assembly proceedings.
Harichandan asserted that as per statistics, the incidents of crime against women in the state registered a decline of around 4.2 per cent in the current year as compared to the previous year.
He said the Opposition parties have also not made any formal demand for the Chief Minister to make any statement on the issue. Harichandan stated that around Rs 1 crore is being spent every day from the state exchequer for the functioning of the Assembly.
He alleged that the Opposition, by stalling the House proceedings for their political gains, is ensuring the public money go down the drain.
Notably, high drama unfolded both inside and outside the Odisha Assembly following the suspension of 12 out of the 14 Congress legislators by Speaker Surama Padhy on Tuesday for their unruly behaviour in the House.
The Congress MLAs who refused to leave the Assembly were later evicted from the House on late Tuesday night.
Two more Congress legislators were also suspended by the speaker for creating an unruly scene inside the Assembly on Wednesday.
The Congress MLAs were staging regular protests inside the Well of the House for the last 13 days by beating gong bells, blowing whistles and playing other traditional musical instruments demanding the formation of a house committee to investigate issues related to atrocities against women.
