All 14 Congress MLAs Suspended from Odisha Assembly After Latest Expulsions
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Legislative Assembly witnessed fresh turmoil on Wednesday as Congress MLAs Tara Prasad Bahinipati and Ramesh Jena were suspended for seven days for allegedly disrupting proceedings. The Speaker, Surma Padhy, announced their suspension following repeated instances of disorderly conduct despite multiple warnings.
With this latest action, all 14 Congress legislators in the Assembly have now been suspended, following the expulsion of 12 party MLAs the previous day. The escalating crisis has led to heated confrontations between Congress workers and the police outside the Assembly.
Earlier in the day, the suspended MLAs staged a protest march from Master Canteen Square to the Assembly, using gongs and other musical instruments to express their dissent. However, security personnel blocked their entry at the main gate, sparking tense altercations. Frustrated by the restriction, the suspended legislators, along with party leaders and supporters, staged a sit-in demonstration outside the Assembly premises.
The Congress party has condemned the suspensions, calling them an attempt to stifle opposition voices. In response to the unrest, authorities have increased security around the Assembly to prevent further escalation. The political standoff is expected to intensify, with Congress leaders vowing to continue their protests against the state government.
Suspended Congress MLA Mangu Khilla questioned the government’s actions, stating, “Why is the Odisha government murdering democracy? We are suspended, but we should be allowed to protest inside in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue. Instead, we are being denied entry.”
Echoing similar concerns, Congress MLA CS Raazen Ekka said, “We should have been allowed to lobby inside the Assembly, but no one is being permitted. This is how the Odisha government is trying to silence us.”
Reacting to the mass suspensions, Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka called the move unjust, stating, “This is completely unfair. Did the people elect BJP to implement the Gujarat model here? Odisha has never seen such actions before, and its people will not tolerate this.”
With political tensions running high, all eyes are now on how the state government and opposition will navigate the ongoing crisis.
