Ruckus in Odisha Assembly as Congress protests over crimes against women

Odisha assembly rocked by Congress MLAs' protests over crimes against women, leading to all-party meeting.

Demonstrations by MLAs of the opposition Congress over alleged crimes against women in the State rocked the Odisha Assembly on Friday (March 21, 2025), forcing Speaker Surama Padhy to call an all-party meeting after multiple adjournments failed to normalise the situation.

As soon as the House assembled for the Question Hour, the agitating Congress MLAs hit the Well and attempted to climb the speaker's podium.

Clad in full black dresses, the Congress MLAs members beat gongs and blew flutes to draw the attention of the speaker, seeking a ruling on the formation of a House Committee to probe into crimes against women in the state.

Unable to run the House, the speaker adjourned the proceedings for an hour till 11.30 am.

After the Assembly reassembled, the protests continued and the speaker adjourned the proceedings for another 30 minutes till 12 pm.

She also convened an all-party meeting in an attempt to normalise the situation.

The House has been rocked by protests on the issue over the last few days.