Odisha Assembly chaos over women's safety protests

On March 21, 2025, the Odisha Assembly was filled with protests from Congress MLAs over crimes against women in the state. The unrest forced Speaker Surama Padhy to call an all-party meeting after several attempts to continue the session were unsuccessful. When the House began for Question Hour, Congress members dressed in black disrupted the proceedings. They gathered in the Well and tried to reach the speaker’s podium, using gongs and flutes to draw attention. They demanded the formation of a House Committee to investigate crimes against women. After the first session was suspended for an hour, protests continued when the Assembly reconvened. The Speaker then adjourned the House again for another 30 minutes. The protests have been ongoing for several days. Senior Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati, who returned after a one-week suspension for similar protests, led the demonstration. Rama Chandra Kadam, the Congress legislature party leader, stated they will continue to protest until their demand for a House Committee is met. Additionally, BJD member Arun Kumar Sahoo criticized restrictions placed on the press from covering the opposition demonstrations, asserting that the public has the right to know how their elected representatives address important issues.