Bhubaneswar, March 19: Opposition Congress Friday tendered an apology for its action in the House earlier in the day to protest the alleged police notice to party Chief Whip Taraprasad Bahinipati.
State Assembly was repeatedly adjourned during the day due to protests by Opposition Congress members who demanded a discussion on alleged political witch-hunt by the police.
Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra raised the issue as soon as the House assembled for the Question Hour.
He had said, “The police has issued a notice to the Congress chief whip in order to silence members of the opposition. The notice was issued to an MLA when the House is in session.”
However, Mishra later in the day apologiesed for the party’s conduct in the House when Commissionerate Police clarified that no such notice was ever sent to Bahinipati.
It was erroneously reported by a local television channel that such a notice had been issued to Bahinipati.
Mishra said he regrets the episode in the State Assembly as the party was provoked by the news report.
Congress had not minced words to dub the purported action against the opposition members as an instance of “political intolerance” on part of the ruling party.
“This is an extraordinary situation in the state,” Mishra had said, adding the opposition party would not tolerate this kind of attack on the elected members of the Assembly.
As Speaker Niranjan Pujari went ahead with the Question Hour, the angry Congress members rushed to the well of the House and shouted anti-government slogans. Some of them attempted to climb the Speaker’s podium and uproot his mike.
Unable to run the House, Pujari first adjourned the House till 12.05 pm and later till 3 pm.
Speaking outside the Assembly, Mishra clarified the police has issued a notice in the name of opposition chief whip Taraprasad Bahinipati in connection with the arrest of former Congress MLA Ramesh Jena.
Jena was arrested on charge of storing illegal fire arms and providing shelter to criminal elements. Meanwhile, about half-a-dozen cases have been registered against him.
The Congress, which has been backing its former MLA from Sanakhemundi in Ganjam district, however, alleged that the police had targeted Jena for political reasons.
Bahinipati’s name came to the picture after police found that the Opposition chief whip allowed Jena and his associates to stay at the MLA quarter allotted to him (Bahinipati).
Bahinipati had admitted that he had allowed Jena to stay at his quarter in MLA Colony. He, however, clarified that he had not visited the said quarter where Jena was staying.
Commissioner of Police Y B Khurania had recently told reporters that the police would also serve notice to the Congress chief whip if necessary.
