Odisha Cong MLA suspended for watching ‘obscene video’ in House

BHUBANESWAR: A Congress legislator was suspended from the Odisha assembly for a week on Tuesday after a private news channel showed footage of him scrolling his smartphone and alleged that he was watching an obscene video inside the House on Monday.

Speaker Niranjan Pujari suspended MLA Naba Kishore Das after ruling BJD legislators demanded his dismissal when the House met on Tuesday.

Das denied the allegation and accused the Speaker of adopting an unfair decision as he did not allow him to clarify his position.

Incidentally, Das was supposed to move a privilege motion during the day against chief minister Naveen Patnaik for allegedly giving wrong information to his questions on the home department.

The Speaker referred the matter to the ethics committee of the assembly. He said Das lowered the dignity of the House if he had indeed watched any obscene video when it was in session. “He is suspended for seven days … Further action will be taken after the ethics committee submits its report.”

Opposition parties, including the Congress and BJP, protested the Speaker’s decision and staged a walkout when he did not heed to their pleas to reconsider the suspension. Calling the ruling “undemocratic”, veteran Congress leader Narasingha Mishra said: “If it is misconduct, then it is beyond the dignity of the House. But before somebody is hanged, the principle of natural justice demands he be heard.”

BJP legislator KV Singhdeo said the Speaker held Das guilty with