Stalemate continues as Opp demands removal of Justice MM Das

Bhubaneswar: The stalemate in Odisha Assembly continued even as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today attended an all-party meeting convened by the Speaker to resolve the issues relating to chitfund scam.

The House continued to witness uproarious scenes and was adjourned repeatedly after the all-party meeting convened in the morning failed to yield any result.

The House was adjourned at least six times before Speaker Niranjan Pujari called it a day in the evening as Opposition Congress and BJP members staged agitation in the Well following no solution during the meeting.

However, Patnaik, who attended the meeting following the demand of the Opposition, did not comment on the stalemate in the House.

"We thank the Chief Minister for attending the meeting. But, the meeting could not reach at any conclusion," Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress said.

"I can say the meeting was neither successful nor a failure. Let us hope for the best tomorrow," Mishra said, adding the government has sought some alternative way for resolution of the impasse in the Assembly.

There was no business in the Assembly after the Opposition made three demands -- withdrawal of treasury bench's announcement of not allowing the LoP to speak in the House, withdrawal of offending remarks made by Law Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo against the LoP and the CM's statement on the conduct of the chitfund judicial commission chairman retired Justice M M Das.

While the treasury bench has agreed to accept first two demands, the government refused to make any statement on the conduct of Justice (retd) Das, whose removal was being demanded by the Congress and BJP members. He had allegedly attended a function of the ruling BJD and made certain statements which created a hue and cry across the state.

When the House assembled for the day in the morning, Congress and BJP members trooped into the Well of the House and demanded the CM's resignation accusing him of shielding persons linked to chitfund scam. Like the preceding days, BJP members were seen wearing black aprons in protest.

In view of the continuing impasse, the Speaker stated that the demand of grants for home and general administration departments would be passed through guillotine route, a move which was described by LoP Mishra as unfortunate.