The budget session of the Odisha Assembly, which was marked by ruckus, uproarious scenes and pandemonium leading to a stalemate of business for a fortnight due to protests by the opposition Congress and BJD, was finally adjourned sine die on Thursday morning.
After a marathon debate lasting over 12 hours, the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Bill was passed in the state assembly early Thursday at around 4:30 AM, following which Speaker Surama Padhy adjourned the House sine die, three days ahead of schedule.
The Assembly, which convened on Wednesday at 10:30 AM, witnessed an extended debate on the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Bill until 4:30 AM, after which the House was adjourned sine die.
The budget session commenced on February 13 with an address by Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, and the annual budget for 2025-26 was presented by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on February 17. The session continued until February 21.
After a 13-day break, the Assembly was reconvened on March 7 to conduct business until April 5.
The second phase of the session turned out to be particularly stormy, with the opposition Congress and BJD raising several issues and stalling most of the proceedings for nearly 15 days.
The Congress staged novel protests inside the well of the House by holding placards, wearing black attire, beating cymbals, and playing trumpets to protest against the rising atrocities against women during the nine-month tenure of the BJP government in the state.
On the other hand, the BJD initially created a ruckus inside the House, opposing the government’s decision to observe Panchayati Raj Divas on April 24 instead of March 5—the birth anniversary of legendary leader Biju Patnaik—as had been observed in the state for over two decades.
Later, the BJD shifted its stance and disrupted House proceedings, demanding proportionate reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC), along with a 27 percent reservation for OBCs in jobs and higher education.
Due to stiff opposition from both the Congress and the BJD on their respective demands, the Speaker was forced to adjourn the House multiple times during the pre-lunch sessions for nearly a fortnight.
To restore order, Speaker Surama Padhy first suspended Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati for seven working days and later suspended all 14 Congress MLAs for the same duration.
The Congress held an Assembly gherao agitation programme on March 27, demanding women’s safety in the state and protesting the suspension of all 14 Congress MLAs.
The protest took a violent turn at the Lower PMG Square as Congress leaders and workers clashed with the police while attempting to march toward the Assembly.
The police resorted to lathi charge, used water cannons, and eventually fired tear gas shells to disperse the agitating Congress leaders and workers.
During the violent clash, at least 15 policemen and several Congress activists were injured as Mahatma Gandhi Marg, the venue of the protest, turned into a battleground for hours.
