BJP MLA Bishnu Sethy, whose uncharitable remark on Muslim women created ruckus in Odisha Assembly yesterday, today expressed regret for the remark. Sethy, party’s Deputy leader in the Assembly expressed regret over his remark and requested Speaker S N Patro to expunge the remark following protest from the Congress members who stalled the question hour today.
The question hour in Odisha Assembly was washed out today as agitated Congress members trooped into the well of the house and disrupted the proceedings forcing the Speaker to adjourn the house at 1031 hours to 1130 hours. The Assembly witnessed ruckus yesterday and the house was adjourned six times by Speaker as the Opposition Congress and the BJP members protested the remark of Mr Sethy dubbing it as an insult to the Muslim women. They also demanded the Speaker to expunge the remark.
The functioning of the house was paralysed yesterday right from the zero hour from 1208 hours to 1700 hours and finally adjourned for the day. As the House assembled for the day at 1030 hours to take up the question hour business, the Speaker asked SC/ST Development Minister Jaganath Saraka to reply to a question.
When the Minister stood up to reply to the question, the Congress members rushed to the well and shouted slogans. Sensing the problem, the Speaker immediately adjourned the house at 1031 hours to 1130 hours. After the house reassembled at 1130 hours, Sethy stood up and expressed his regret over the remark made by him stating that he had not said it deliberately.
The BJP Deputy leader said he had only quoted media and other reports. He however, expressed his regret for the word he had used and requested the Speaker to expunge it.
The business of the house resumed after Sethy expressed his regret. The Speaker who expunged the remark used by Sethy against the Muslim women ruled that the expunged words will not be further published in the media. The Assembly then resumed normal functioning and took up the Zero hour.
