Ama Odisha News

The BJP and the Congress on Saturday launched a spirited attack on the ruling BJD accusing the latter of shying away
from a debate on the horse-trading in the last Rajya Sabha polls. While the BJP members staged a dharna in the well of the House, the trouble started Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat asked the cooperation minister Prafulla Samal to proceed with the amendment Bill of his department after the Zero Hour. The opposition members raised slogans demanding the debate on BJD’s alleged involvement in horse-trading. “Our legislators were forced to sit on dharna in the well as government does not agree to discuss such a huge fraud perpetrated on the people of the state. We will not relent and take this issue to the people in every nook and corner of the state,” senior BJP leader Jayanarayan Mishra said. Parliamentary affairs minister Raghunath Mohanty dismissed the Opposition’s charge saying the Speaker had acted in the best possible manner. “The Speaker gave ample scope to
legislators to put forth their grievances. The present government has got all respect for the constitution and law of the land. There is no iota of truth in the allegations leveled by the opposition Congress and BJP members,” said Mr. Mohanty. The Congress MLAs were up accusing the government of fearing discussion on important the horse-trading issue. “The BJD, which boasts of transparency and honesty, brazenly displayed its money and muscle power in during 2010 RS polls. Although we have been demanding a debate on the issue on the floor of the Assembly, the Speaker did not allow it,” Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh told reporters after the forenoon session of the House was adjourned. Alleging that the Speaker did not give equal opportunities to the opposition Congress and BJP members, Mr. Singh said there was a total constitutional breakdown in running the House.
“There is total collapse of constitutional set-up as far as running of the Assembly is concerned. We lodge complaint with the Governor and the President of India regarding denial of our rightful opportunities and privileges in the Assembly,” Mr. Singh observed.