Bhubaneswar, Feb 7 (UNI) The Opposition BJP members on Wednesday created ruckus in Odisha Assembly over the use of par boiled rice as Mahaprasad in Sri Jagannath temple forcing Speaker Pramila Mallick to adjourn it thrice till 1600 hours.
As soon as the Assembly assembled for the day to take up the question hour, opposition BJP members carrying placards and shouting slogans against the BJD government on the use of parboiled rice as mahaprasad in Sri Jagannath temple, trooped into the well of the house.
The Treasury bench members to counter the opposition BJP, also raised the minor girl Pari murder issue being politicized by the BJP.
The Assembly soon plunged into a chaotic situation forcing Speaker Pramila Mallick to immediately adjourn the house till 1130 hours without transacting any business.
There was no change in the situation as the Opposition BJP members continued their slogan shouting inside the well when the house reassembled at 1130 hours after the adjournment forcing the Speaker to again adjourn it till 12 30 hours.
The house was subsequently adjourned till 1600 hours by the Speaker due to stiff protest by the Opposition BJP members over the use parboiled rice in Mahaprasad of Lords,collected during the visit of Arpan Rath in the villages by the Odisha government on the occasion of the inauguration of Sri Mandir Parikrama Project.
The Treasury bench members soon after the house was adjourned gathered at the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the Assembly premises and demanded an apology from Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP Chief Whip Mohan Majhi for politicizing the sensational Pari murder issue.
The Special Children Court, Nayagarh on Tuesday sentenced one accused , a juvenile in the sensation Pari rape and murder case of Nayagarh to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.
The BJD members said the judgment in the Pari murder case has exposed the nefarious political games played by the BJP targeting a former BJD minister in the murder case and condemned the statement of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP chief whip in the Odisha Assembly Mohan Majhi.
Majhi told newsmen outside the assembly that the Mahaprasad of Lord Jagannath has been prepared by parboiled rice which has been mixed with rice collected by the Arpan Rath and distributed to the devotees which he said was against the age old tradition of Sri Jagannath temple.
The BJP Chief whip said his party wanted an answer from Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the Assembly on the issue and said his party will continue to raise the issue in the Assembly till the Chief Minister make a statement on the controversy.
UNI DP KK