KIIT Row Shakes Assembly: The Odisha Assembly today saw heated debates on the issue of the KIIT row, with members from both ruling and opposition parties strongly opposing the institution. The members raised the question of why Achyuta Samanta had not yet been arrested. The Congress party moved a motion for discussion on the topic, which was taken by the Speaker.
Some members during Zero Hour and special discussion expressed their concerns regarding inaction against KIIT and Achyuta Samanta. Congress MLA Tara Bahinipati called for a judicial inquiry into the scandal and asked the government to explain why no action was taken. He demanded Achyuta Samanta’s arrest immediately.
He also clarified that if a college had any unrest, the whole college used to be closed. But here, only the Nepali students were requested to vacate the premises. He also called for an inquiry about how many IAS and IPS officers were affiliated with KIIT and through which ways the university had been gaining from them.
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BJD MLA Babu Singh also attacked Achyuta Samanta, asking the government to arrest him right away. He asked how Samanta, who had previously earned ₹800 per month working as a lecturer at Maharshi College, had managed to amass assets worth ₹15,000 crore. He demanded a probe into his financial assets in detail.
Likewise, MLA Ashok Das also criticized KIIT, wondering how the accused officials had been granted bail within two hours of their arrest. He expressed apprehension on whether the government was protecting KIIT and called for the campus to be declared drug-free.
Even the ruling BJD leaders criticized KIIT, indicating that they no longer wished to defend their former MP Achyuta Samanta. BJD MLA Ganeshwar Behera demanded that action be taken against the culprits.
