Bhubaneswar: Pandemonium ensued in the assembly on Tuesday as BJD and Congress members staged a demonstration demanding a caste-based census in the state.
As soon as the question hour began at 10.30 am, opposition members rushed to the well of the House, raising slogans in support of their demand. Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati even attempted to climb the speaker’s podium amid the chaos.
Speaker Surama Padhy, adjourned the proceedings until 11.30 am due to the ruckus.The opposition members continued to create similar disturbances, leading to four more adjournments of 10-15 minutes each until 12.40 pm. Normalcy returned after the speaker convened an all-party meeting.
Outside the assembly, BJD MLA Ganeswar Behera said social justice is an issue that should unite all parties. “I don’t know why the ruling party is shying away from the issue. There is difference in their words and works,” he said. Bahinipati urged the govt to clarify its stance on caste-based census, stating, “People must know who stands where. Congress has been fighting for social justice and will continue doing so in future as well.”
Addressing a news conference at the BJP office, party spokesperson Manoj Mohapatra accused BJD and Congress of failing to deliver justice to tribals, downtrodden and backward classes during their tenures. “BJP govt has established social justice in Odisha, and the BJD and Congress are struggling to accept that a tribal man is now the chief minister of the state,” he said.
Mohapatra said the 16-member council of ministers includes four tribals, two SC and seven OBC members. He also pointed out the chief whip belongs to the OBC category, while the deputy chief whip is from SC category.

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