All 14 Odisha Congress MLAs suspended after continuous high drama in assembly
After an overnight sit-in and continued protest in the Assembly, which led to a clash with police, all 14 Congress MLAs in Odisha assembly have been suspended
The Odisha Assembly on Wednesday (March 26) suspended the last two Congress MLAs in the assembly – Taraprasad Bahinipati and Ramesh Jena – bringing the total number of suspended legislators to 14.
This comes a day after 12 Congress MLAs were suspended for seven days over charges of "indiscipline" and “disrespecting the Chair” during Assembly proceedings.
The MLAs have been suspended after continued protests by Congress legislators, who have been demanding the formation of a House Committee to investigate rising crimes against women in the state.
On Tuesday, the MLAs disrupted Question Hour, and they entered the Well of the House beating gongs and cymbals in protest. Later that night, they were forcibly evicted by security personnel during an overnight sit-in protest inside the Assembly.
Also Read: High drama unfolds in Odisha assembly as suspended Cong MLAs refuse to leave House
Scuffle outside Assembly gates
On Wednesday morning, the suspended MLAs attempted to re-enter the Assembly premises to stage a dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue but were stopped by police citing prohibitory orders. A scuffle broke out at the main gate and Congress MP from Koraput, Saptagiri Ulaka, alleged he was manhandled by security personnel.
Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das and AICC in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu joined the protest by sitting on a dharna at the Master Canteen area in Bhubaneswar. Congress Legislature Party leader Ram Chandra Kadam accused the police of denying suspended MLAs access to food, water, and toilets during their overnight protest.
Police action and response
Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena confirmed that Congress leaders and activists were detained for violating a prohibitory order near the Assembly building. He said the detentions were preventive and that all those held were later released.
Police had also blocked senior Congress leaders from entering the Assembly late Tuesday night, triggering further tension outside the premises.
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BJD protests and walkout
Meanwhile, ruling BJD MLAs staged a walkout during Wednesday’s Question Hour, demanding reservation for SC, ST, and OBC communities in education and employment. As they tried to march to AG Chhak to pay tribute to B R Ambedkar, they too clashed with police who had sealed the Assembly gates to prevent entry by Congress workers.
Senior BJD leaders RP Swain and Arun Kumar Sahoo reportedly forced open the gates to exit the premises. The BJD accused the BJP-led Centre of denying social justice to backward communities, intensifying the political standoff.
The situation remains tense in the state capital, with Opposition parties alleging a systematic crackdown on democratic dissent and complained of procedural violations in the Assembly.