Bhubaneswar, Dec 4 (LatestNewsX) – The Odisha Assembly erupted in a sharp uproar when a BJP MLA allegedly made offensive comments about Mahatma Gandhi during the debate on the supplementary budget.
Opposition MPs from the Congress and Biju Janata Dal walked out and staged a silent protest beneath the Gandhi statue on the Assembly premises.
Senior BJD leader and Deputy Leader of Opposition Prasanna Acharya said, “During the debate on the demands for grants of the Home Department today, a BJP member made sharp remarks against Gandhiji. He tried to distort the history of the independent struggle of India.” He added that the claim linking Gandhiji to the Partition is entirely false. Acharya pointed out that Gandhiji never supported the division of India and was actively against it, noting the freedom fighter was in Noakhali, West Bengal, at the time of partition.
“How can you blame or associate Gandhiji with the partition? He was never in favour of it,” Acharya emphasised. “To hold Gandhiji responsible distorts our independence history, and doing so inside the Assembly cannot be tolerated.” He urged the Speaker to take firm action against the MLA who castigated Gandhiji, stressing that “you cannot equate Gandhiji with any Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Governor, MP, or MLA.”
Meanwhile, after the Speaker Surama Padhy’s instruction, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling, joined by Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Naik and other leaders, met the protesting opposition members near the Gandhi statue and invited them to return to the House, promising corrective measures.
Speaking to the media afterward, Minister Mahaling said the Speaker had already ruled that the controversial statement would be expunged from the House proceedings.
“As the opposition alleged, the member’s words about Gandhi have been removed from the proceedings, and the member has tendered an unconditional apology in the House. The Hon’ble Speaker has taken note, and the members are now returning to the House – the issue stands resolved,” Mahaling stated.
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