Bhubaneswar, July 14
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers on Thursday staged protest at the Odisha Assembly against Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar's alleged remarks on NDA presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu,
The BJP MLAs raised this issue in the state Assembly and strongly condemned the statement made by Congress spokesperson while the saffron party workers staged protest in various districts across the state and burnt effigies of Ajoy Kumar and Rahul Gandhi.
As soon the Assembly began its business for the day at 10.30 a.m., the Opposition BJP members, holding placards, raised anti-Congress slogans and trooped into the well of the House, demanding apology from the Congress and passing a censure motion against it for the alleged "defamatory" remarks against Murmu, a tribal woman leader from Odisha.
Opposing the BJP members, the Congress MLAs too rushed to the well and raised slogans against the BJP for stalling the House proceedings for a person who is neither a member of House nor present there.
It triggered a face-off between the Opposition BJP and Congress forcing Speaker B.K. Arukha to adjourn the proceedings first till 11.30 a.m.
When the House reassembled for zero hour, BJP chief whip Mohan Majhi said Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar has made a "controversial and cheap mentality statement" against Murmu, who is going to be the first citizen of India.
Murmu, a tribal leader from Odisha, has worked hard for the development of poor, destitute and tribal people throughout her life. She had rejected a Bill, which was framed to allow transfer of tribal land to non-tribal people during her tenure as Jharkhand Governor, pointed out Majhi.
However, instead of supporting her, the Congress is indulging in making anti-tribal and anti-Murmu remarks at the behest of Rahul Gandhi, he said.
"We strongly condemn such remarks made by Congress spokesperson and demand to allow us to move a censure motion in the House against the Congress leader," Majhi said on the floor.
Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra said, "The BJP members should not be intolerant. In a democracy, people are free to make differences of opinions and we are also making such statements in the House."
Mishra said he has gone through the newspaper article on Kumar's statement and there is no derogatory remark made against Murmu.
As Ajoy Kumar is not present there, this issue should not be discussed in the Assembly, as per tradition of the House, he pointed out.
The Congress member urged the Speaker to expunge those words made against Kumar from the record.
Before Mishra completed his statement, BJP members again started creating chaos in the floor of the House which led the Speaker to adjourn the proceeding till 4 p.m. After the House was adjourned, the BJP MLAs holding banners staged a dharna in the Assembly premises.
Meanwhile, the BJP leaders and workers took out rallies and started protests in several places including Bhubaneswar and Mayurbhanj -- the home district of Murmu.
As per reports, Kumar, a former Lok Sabha MP from Jharkhand, on Wednesday said that Murmu, though a decent person herself, represents the 'evil philosophy of India' and she should not be made the symbol of adivasis.
