Orissa opposition runs symbolic session to protest adjournment

BHUBANESWAR - Members of Orissa’s opposition parties began a symbolic session in the assembly lobby Monday as part of their continuing protest against the abrupt adjournment of the winter session 14 days ahead of schedule.

“The session started as usual with question hour. Members moved an adjournment motion and that was taken up for discussion,” Congress chief whip Prasad Harichandan told IANS.

There were no assembly reporters to record the proceedings and no members from the ruling party to reply to the questions. No journalists or visitors were allowed to witness it, Harichandan said.

Congress member Debiprasanna Chand presided over the session run by the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members who have been staying and protesting day and night in the assembly since Saturday, he added.

The winter session of the assembly commenced Nov 18 and was scheduled to conclude Dec 19. But Speaker Pradip Amat had abruptly adjourned the assembly session Saturday.

He declared the house adjourned sine die after ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief whip Rabi Narayan Pani moved a motion that there was no pending official business and the house should be adjourned.

The motion was supported by ruling party members. However, the opposition members protested the decision and described it as “undemocratic”.

Terming the abrupt adjournment “unconstitutional”, a five-member team of the opposition Sunday met Governor M.C. Bhandare and requested him not to prorogue the winter session of the assembly and requested him to re-convene the house.

“The house was adjourned because the government was afraid of facing the opposition over the multi-crore mining scam and farmers’ suicide,” Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh told IANS.

Singh said that for the opposition members, the house is very much in session till it is prorogued. “The house will do normal business as usual till Dec 19 because it requires 14 members to have a quorum and the opposition has much more members,” he said.

The BJD Monday described the symbolic session being held by the opposition as mere drama to gain publicity.

“There is no legal terminology that exists such as symbolic assembly,” said Bibhu Prasad Tripathy, a constitutional expert and lawyer.

“If the opposition has any grievance, they may question the said ruling of the speaker before the governor or in a court of law,” he said.