The Special Session of Odisha Assembly started amidst uproar regarding a shocking incident in Keonjhar district. A tribal man had to exhume and transport his sister’s skeletal remains to a bank after being asked for death and legal certificates by bank officials. Congress members protested during the session, accusing the government of negligence over the tragic event.
The Congress MLAs, displaying placards, gathered near the Speaker and criticized the government’s handling of the Keonjhar issue. They later walked out for 15 minutes in protest. Upon returning, they engaged in discussions on women’s participation in democracy, initiated by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Rama Chandra Kadam, expressed dismay over the incident tarnishing the state’s reputation globally. He highlighted the struggle of the tribal man, Jitu Munda, in seeking justice for his deceased sister’s bank account withdrawals. Kadam drew parallels to a past incident where Dana Majhi carried his wife’s body due to lack of a hearse.
Demanding the Chief Minister’s resignation on moral grounds, Kadam criticized the government’s failure to deliver justice in the deceased woman’s case. Another senior Congress MLA, Tara Prasad Bahinipati, sought permission from the Speaker to discuss the Keonjhar issue for the tribal woman and her brother, Jitu Munda. However, the motion was not permitted, leading to another brief walkout by Congress members.
