Legislator throws pen stand at Orissa speaker
By IANSMonday, December 20, 2010
BHUBANESWAR - A Congress legislator Monday threw a pen stand at Orissa Assembly Speaker Pradip Amat for refusing to expunge an alleged derogatory remark by a minister.
Santosh Singh Saluja, who represents Kantabaji constituency, picked up a pen stand from the speaker’s table and threw it at him. Although it did not hit him, the speaker adjourned the house for a while.
The incident occurred during question hour after Industry Minister Raghunath Mohanty said that members of opposition parties were involved in tender fixing in an irrigation project.
Protesting the statement, Congress members trooped towards the speaker’s podium and demanded that the minister’s statement be expunged. Not getting any response from the speaker, Saluja picked up the pen stand and hurled it at Amat.
The assembly’s 24-day winter session, which started Nov 23, is scheduled to run till Dec 22. A Congress legislator had earlier jumped onto the speaker’s table Dec 14 demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over a land row.
