Ruckus in Odisha Assembly as Congress raises Hathras issue

Pandemonium prevailed in the Odisha Assembly on Saturday as the opposition Congress lawmakers voiced protest over the Hathras gang rape-murder case in Uttar Pradesh and "manhandling" of party leader Rahul Gandhi while he was on way to meet the bereaved family.

After the proceedings began, the Congress MLAs stood up from their seats and started sloganeering against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath and condemned the horrific crime in which a 19-year-old Dalit woman was gang-raped on September 14. She died in a Delhi hospital on September 29.

The Odisha lawmakers also rushed up to the Speaker's podium. Unable to run the House smoothly, Speaker Surya Narayan Patro adjourned it several times and for the last time till 3 pm.

"Democracy has been murdered by the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress party will not tolerate attack on its leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. We will continue our agitation till Adityanath resigns," Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati told media persons.

Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra termed the alleged "high-handedness" of UP Police as unfortunate.

Notably, Congress supporters have been protesting the manhandling of Rahul Gandhi at several places across Odisha for the last two days.

Biju Janata Dal MLA Snehangini Chhuria also condemned the Hathras crime. "We strongly condemn the Hathras incident. UP Police and the civil administration are functioning under the direction of the state government. We demand justice for the Dalit girl. We will resort to protest if justice is denied to the victim."

BJP's deputy leader Bishnu Sethi said the Congress ws acting as the 'B' team of the ruling BJD.

"The incident has occurred in Uttar Pradesh, not in Odisha. But, the Congress, which is acting at the behest of BJD, is raising the issue to unnecessarily divert the attention from important issues in the state," he told media here.