Bhubaneswar, February 23 – The Odisha Assembly continued to witness significant disruptions on Monday as members of the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Indian National Congress (INC) staged protests over issues related to market chaos and the Epstein file.
As the Question Hour began at 10:30 am on Monday, members of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) rushed to the well of the House, holding posters and raising anti-government slogans near the Speaker's dais, alleging massive mismanagement in paddy procurement at markets across the state.
They accused the BJP-led state government of betraying farmers, who are facing severe distress due to the non-lifting of paddy and the non-payment of Minimum Support Price (MSP), etc. The Congress members also created a commotion in the House, demanding discussions on the Epstein files.
The Congress members demanded the resignation of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri over his name appearing in the Epstein files. Opposition members also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Epstein files.
Meanwhile, BJP MLAs protested the criticism of PM Modi and Union Minister, stating that they were not members of the House.
Speaker Surama Padhy repeatedly appealed to opposition members to return to their seats and allow the House to function. However, the members ignored this, and the protest continued.
The commotion forced the Speaker of the Odisha Assembly, Surama Padhy, to adjourn the House multiple times before finally suspending proceedings until 4 pm.
The Speaker also convened an all-party meeting to end the deadlock in the assembly, which had continued since the start of the budget session on February 17.
Speaking to media persons outside the House, senior BJD leader Dibya Shankar Mishra strongly criticised the state government over the stalemate in the Odisha Assembly.
He announced that the BJD will intensify its agitation and stage a major protest in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday over farmers' issues.
“I am ashamed to see the current situation. In a democracy, governance is meant for the welfare of the poorest of the poor, farmers, backward classes, and deprived communities. Unfortunately, this government has failed to understand the true meaning of welfare,” he said.
Mishra accused the government of neglecting the farming community despite rising input costs.
He alleged that the promise of 100 units of free electricity for farmers had not been fulfilled and claimed that, although the government had spoken about increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP), farmers were not receiving the declared benefits.
He further pointed out that the cost of seeds, fertilizers, and other agricultural inputs had risen significantly, yet adequate support for cultivators was still lacking.
He further demanded loan waivers for farmers, the lifting of procurement caps, and the assurance of procurement of surplus paddy.
“The 150-quintal procurement limit must be removed. What about the surplus paddy with farmers? The government must ensure that all produce is procured,” Mishra said.
