Bhubaneswar, 23 March (H.S.): The Odisha Legislative Assembly witnessed repeated disruptions on Monday as opposition legislators demanded the resignation of Health Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling over the recent fire incident at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

The uproar forced Speaker Surama Padhy to adjourn the House multiple times during the day, preventing the smooth conduct of proceedings, including the Question Hour.

The Assembly proceedings began at the scheduled time of 10:30 am, with the Speaker attempting to initiate the Question Hour. However, as soon as the session started, members of the opposition began raising slogans over the SCB Medical College fire incident.

Opposition MLAs moved to the well of the House and staged protests, demanding accountability and calling for the resignation of the Health Minister. Despite repeated appeals from the Speaker urging the protesting members to return to their seats and allow the House to function normally, the legislators continued their protest.

Amid the persistent uproar, the Speaker was compelled to adjourn the House till 11:30 am.

Similar scenes were witnessed during the Zero Hour, when opposition members again resorted to sloganeering in the well of the House. Legislators from both the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress intensified their protests, reiterating their demand for the resignation of the Health Minister.

Due to the continuing disruption, the Speaker once again adjourned the House till 12:30 pm and convened an all-party meeting in an attempt to restore order and ensure the smooth functioning of the Assembly.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda