BJD alleges microphone switched off during Naveen Patnaik's address in Odisha assembly

Bhubaneswar: Opposition BJD on Monday alleged that the microphone was switched off when Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik was speaking. It is an effort to suppress the voice of the opposition in the House, Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik asserted.

“We have made a written complaint to the Speaker as to how the microphone and camera were switched off when Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik was speaking in the House,” Mallik told reporters.

Patnaik was a former chief minister.

Stating that the party condemns such behaviour, the Opposition Chief Whip said they expect justice from Speaker Surama Padhy.

Congress MLA Sofia Firdous also made a similar allegation, claiming that the microphone was turned off when party leader Rama Chandra Kadam was speaking in the Assembly.

Both the leaders had attempted to speak something in the House before staging a walkout protesting against the alleged assault on an assistant section officer (ASO) by the Governor’s son Lalit Kumar and police ‘inaction’ in the matter.

She, however, said that Congress will continue to raise its voice against injustice.

“People are watching everything and they will not accept it,” Firdous said.

Both BJD and Congress boycotted the Governor’s address on the opening day of the Assembly session in protest against the alleged assault on the ASO.