3 Odisha BJP MLAs suspended for throwing slippers, paper at Speaker podium

Odisha Assembly Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro on Saturday suspended three BJP legislators from attending the ongoing Budget Session for allegedly hurling slippers, earphones and papers at the Speaker’s podium.

Calling the suspension, in effect until the session ends on April 6, “undemocratic”, BJP members staged a dharna outside the Assembly.

The MLAs were protesting against the state government’s decision to pass the Odisha Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill. They maintained that the Bill was passed without any discussion.

The MLAs were suspended after Patro examined the video footage of the incident, which took place in the first half of Saturday’s session. None of the materials had reached the podium.

The suspended trio include Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Bishnu Charan Sethi, former state minister Jay Narayan Mishra and Opposition Chief Whip Mohan Charan Majhi. Sethi denied allegations that slippers were thrown towards the Speaker’s podium.