Odisha Legislative Assembly, Speaker Surama Padhy suspended 12 Congress legislators for seven days for continuous disruptions in the House proceedings. The suspension came after the resolution moved by Saroj Pradhan, chief whip of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was passed.

The legislators who were suspended had been pressing for a committee to inquire into the alleged upsurge of crimes against women in Odisha. In protesting, they resorted to demonstrations inside the assembly and ringing out instruments like gongs, cymbals, and flutes to highlight their cause.

Ashok Kumar Das, one of the suspended Congress MLAs, stressed the party's seriousness in their demand, saying, "We stand firm on our demand for a House committee to probe growing crime against women in the state. It is a public issue of greater dimension, but the treasury benches are not agreeing with our demands. We will pursue our protest until our demand is accepted."

The 12 suspended members belong to different constituencies in Odisha, such as Pottangi, Rajagangpur, Mohana, Basudevpur, Gunupur, Bhawanipatna, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Koraput, Barabati-Cuttack, Chitrakonda, and Bissam Cuttack. Interestingly, the Congress party has 14 members in the 147-seat assembly, which makes this suspension a strong move against the party.

Dasarathi Gamang, another suspended MLA, raised questions about the BJP's hesitation to form the committee, saying, "Why is the BJP afraid? You will realize that the Odisha government no longer believes in democracy. Congress is insisting on the formation of the House committee and whatever has happened is completely unacceptable. We were protesting in a different manner to place our demands. The suspension is regrettable."

To this, Urban Development Minister Krushna Mahapatra condemned the opposition for obstructing assembly proceedings for a number of days, claiming that the assembly had no choice but to act. He stated, "Despite a request made by the speaker and a meeting, they did not heed it. People of Odisha are observing such interruptions."

This suspension highlights the increasing tensions in the Odisha Legislative Assembly and serves to bring focus to the contentious debates on the issue of safety for women in the state. As the assembly continues, how this suspension will affect legislative processes and party politics is yet to be seen.