Bhubaneswar, Sep 22 — The Monsoon session of the Odisha Assembly commenced on Tuesday amid a massive uproar by members of the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress over the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act and errors in school textbooks.
On Tuesday, the House proceedings began with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi moving a condolence motion in memory of six former members of the House who passed away recently and more than 1,000 people who lost their lives in the recent tragedy in Nepal.
The motion was seconded by the Leader of Opposition (LoP) and BJD President Naveen Patnaik, Congress Legislative Party (CLP) Leader Rama Chandra Kadam, CPI-M leader, etc.
The House expressed condolences to the bereaved family members of the departed former legislators and to the families of those who lost their lives in the recent tragedy in Nepal, with Speaker Surama Padhy conveying the House's sympathies.
The Odisha Assembly members also observed a one-minute silence in their memory.
As soon as the Question Hour began, opposition members, holding banners and placards, gathered near the Speaker's podium and raised ant-government slogans.
The Congress MLAs were demanding the immediate repeal of the MMDR Act while the BJD legislators created massive ruckus demanding the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over the school textbook error issue.
Speaker Padhy first appealed to the protesting members to go to their seats and allow the functioning of the Question Hour, but to no avail. Therefore, she later adjourned the House till 1:10 p.m.
Speaking to media persons, Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik said that the state government has been playing with the future of children.
She alleged that the state government had done nothing over the past six months and was now, in view of the Monsoon session of the Assembly, claiming to have distributed corrected textbooks in some areas.
"We have placed our demand, and if the state government agrees to it, we will allow the House to function. Let the government first agree to our demand and ensure that School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond resign for playing with the future of the children. We have been demanding the resignation of the Minister. If the government ensures the recovery of the additional amount spent from the public exchequer on the publication of new textbooks, we will call off our protest," Mallik added.
The BJD leaders later joined the protest by members of the party's students' and youth wings over the textbook errors and demanding the resignation of the Minister at Lower PMG.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhakta Charan Das raised the issue of the alleged financial loss to the state due to the recently passed MMDR Amendment Act, 2026.
He said that the Congress would continue its protest in the Assembly until the MMDR Amendment Act is repealed.
Meanwhile, when the House reconvened at 1:10 p.m., the Opposition continued its protest, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House till 4 p.m.
Reacting to the Opposition's protest, BJP MLA Tankadhar Tripathy said, "The government is ready for every kind of discussion in the Assembly and is prepared to give answers. The Speaker will decide under which rule an issue should be discussed, and members should have faith in the Speaker."
He said the Odiaha Assembly should function according to its rules and alleged that disrupting proceedings without allowing discussion was not in the interest of democracy.