Don’t turn assembly a ‘fish market’: Speaker in Odisha assembly

BHUBANESWAR: While a Congress legislator allegedly watching obscene videos in the Odisha assembly was not enough, some ruling BJD MLAs including a minister on Monday faced the wrath of speaker for indulging in conversation while the house was transacting its business.

Irked over the conduct of certain senior treasury bench members including law minister Arun Kumar Sahoo, Speaker Niranjan Pujari asked them not to turn the house into a “fish market”.

“Do not make it (House) a fish market,” Pujari said while the law minister was busy in a conversation with another member during Zero Hour when the opposition Congress raised farmers suicide issue in the house.

The government deputy chief whip Rohit Pujari was also seen talking to senior BJD member Pramila Mallick.

It is also very often observed that most of the legislators, both from the Treasury Bench and Opposition, resort to gossiping and disturbing antics during the important Question Hour and other serious discussions in the pious temple of democracy.

After Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik leaves the house, most of the ruling party members usually leave their seats and keep themselves busy in conversation among themselves inside the house, alleged a Congress MLA outside the assembly.

However, law minister preferred to keep mum on the issue.

“I was talking to Pramila Mallick as she asked me something. As the deputy chief whip of the government, I have to coordinate with members and therefore required to talk to them,” Rohit Pujari said.

Congress MLA Prakash Chandra Behera said the ruling party members have no honour to democracy as they were busy in talking while the house was discussing on important issues.

“It is unfortunate that treasury bench members are not disciplined in the House. The situation has been so bad that the Speaker has to caution them,” said BJP member Rabinarayan Naik.