Bhubaneswar: The Congress party has strongly protested the 7-day suspension of senior legislator Taraprasad Bahinipati. In response, party legislators boycotted the assembly and staged a sit-in beneath the Gandhi statue within the assembly premises. Bahinipati stated that he raised his voice for women’s safety, highlighting that in the past eight months, hundreds of women have gone missing, and minors have become pregnant. He mentioned that they had appealed to the Chief Minister to form a house committee and introduce stringent laws for women’s safety. However, instead of addressing these concerns, he was suspended. Bahinipati emphasized that he fears nothing, even if it means facing extreme consequences for advocating women’s safety, and asserted that future protests for this cause will be taken to the streets.
Similarly, Congress legislator Dr. C.S. Rajan accused the double-engine government of undermining democracy. He claimed that while protesting for women’s safety in the house, the parliamentary minister incited ruling party legislators to create a confrontational situation. Opposition leader Ramchandra Kadam described the suspension as undemocratic, asserting that despite their readiness for discussions, their protests will continue until the Chief Minister addresses the issue.
On the other hand, a BJD delegation met with Speaker Surama Padhi, requesting a reconsideration of Bahinipati’s suspension to restore normalcy and uphold the dignity of the house. BJD deputy leader Prasanna Acharya expressed that the house belongs to everyone, not just the government or opposition, and emphasized the need for those in power to exercise greater restraint and decorum.