Gangrape issue rocks Assly:House adjourned till 1500 hrs

Bhubaneswar, Mar 21 : The Opposition Congress in Odisha Assembly today stalled business demanding a statement from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on a series of gangrapes that shocked the state, forcing Speaker P K Amat to adjourn the House twice till 1500 hours without transacting any business.

As the House assembled at 1030 hours to take up the question hour, agitated Opposition Congress members trooped into the well shouting slogans and waiving newspapers that carried the gangrape of a dalit woman in Odisha Coastal district of Kendrapada.

The members alleged that the atrocities on the state's women were rising alarmingly and the government had totally failed to control them.

They demanded that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik must make a statement in the House on the gangrape of a dalit married woman in Kendrapada district and outraging of modesty of a minor girl by the school headmaster in Nilagiri.

The House soon plunged into a chaotic situation with the Congress members occupying the well and shouting slogans against the government.

Amidst slogan shouting, the House could hardly run for two minutes when the Speaker adjourned it till 1245 hours.

When the House reassembled at 1245 hours,leader of Opposition Bhupender Singh drew the attention of the Speaker about the government forgetting the protocol in the swearing-in ceremony of new Governor S C Jamir and MLAs not being invited to the function.He said some MLAs who went there to witness the function did not even get a chair.

Mr Singh alleged that the government was deliberately avoiding discussion on the rising atrocities on women and the gangrape issues in the House.

The Congress members reiterated their stand for a statement from the chief minister on the atrocities on women. As din prevailed in the House with the Congress members shouting slogans,the Speaker adjourned it at 1249 hours to till 1500 hours.