Odisha Assembly adjourned twice over Congress protests

The Odisha Assembly faced disruptions on Wednesday as Congress MLAs protested against the government's handling of women's safety. The assembly was adjourned twice due to the uproar, starting during Question Hour. The Congress legislators entered the assembly with placards and demanded a statement from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. They criticized the government for neglecting women’s safety, highlighting that women make up half of the state's population. They claimed there have been 54 gang rapes and over 1,600 crimes against women since the BJP took power. Speaker Surama Padhy tried to restore order, but her appeals were ignored. The Assembly could only conduct five minutes of business before being adjourned until noon. When the House reconvened, the protests continued, leading to another adjournment until 4 p.m. Afterward, Congress members held a demonstration outside the assembly. Senior MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati was suspended for seven days due to unruly behavior during the protest. Another Congress member, Sofia Firdous, criticized the government’s insensitivity towards women’s safety and supported the formation of a House Committee to address these crimes.