Odisha Congress, BJP MLAs boycott Assembly after House passes resolution without 'paying respect' to Opposition

Bhubaneswar: Protesting the manner in which the Odisha Assembly passed a resolution, Opposition Congress and BJP Tuesday boycotted the House and refused to return despite several requests by Speaker PK Amat."We are boycotting the House to protest the manner which the House passed a resolution without paying scant respect towards Opposition," Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress said before leaving the House.The BJP members also followed and refused to return to the House even as two senior ministers and the government chief whip on behalf of the Speaker requested them to participate in the proceeding.[caption id="attachment_5153521" align="alignleft" width="380"]

Representational image. PTI[/caption]As the Opposition members continued to remain away from the House, Speaker Amat adjourned the House twice for 15 minutes each. When they did not return, Speaker moved to the next business and asked Water Resources minister Niranjan Pujari to move Amendment to the Odisha Ground Water (Regulation, Development and Management) Bill, 2011.The dispute began when the House was discussing the resolution titled: "This Assembly resolves to recommend the state government to move the Central government to include the 'Uniquely' Indian ideal of Ahimsa, of Non-Violence in the Preamble of India's Constitution."The leader of Opposition welcomed the state government's gesture in bringing such a resolution. Mishra said he suggested to change wordings in the resolution "I fail to understand what the resolution wordings mean. Let it be modified."Mishra said that the Odisha Assembly should not be in a hurry to pass the resolution as nothing is urgent."We can discuss, deliberate and think on the implication of the resolution before passing it. Therefore, I request the government not to pass it in a haste," the Congress veteran said.He also suggested to bring the resolution in Odia language which will be understandable to all people in the state.Senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) member Ranendra Pratap Swain also supported Mishra's views and said he too failed to understand the wordings in the resolution. Swain said the resolution also do not suggest where to insert the word "Ahimsa" in the Preamble of the Constitution.BJP member Pradip Purohit, also welcomed the resolution, but asked the government to think over the wordings before it get nod of the House.Keeping the sentiments of the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister BK Arukha, who moved the resolution on behalf of the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, accepted the Opposition suggestions."Yes, we have decided to delete 'comma and of' after the word Ahimsa and put the word non-violence within bracket," Arukha said.The leader of the Opposition was not allowed to speak and Speaker hurriedly announced that the resolution is passed.Annoyed over the manner in which the Speaker announced the passing of the resolution, Mishra announced Opposition boycott action.Earlier, the House had unanimously passed another resolution titled: "That this Assembly resolves to recommend the state government to move the Central Government in the Ministry of Civil Aviation to name the newly constructed Jharsuguda Airport in the state of Odisha as Veer Surendra Sai Airport."Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the new airport at Jharsuguda on 22 September.