Stormy Start: Odisha Assembly's 17th Session Marred by Walkouts

The 17th session of the Odisha Assembly began tumultuously with opposition parties BJD and Congress boycotting Governor Raghubar Das's address. They protested against alleged inaction over accusations that Das's son assaulted an official. The parties demanded immediate action and highlighted issues like Rath Yatra mismanagement and rising prices of essentials.

The 17th session of the Odisha Assembly kicked off on a contentious note, with both the opposition BJD and Congress boycotting Governor Raghubar Das's address on Monday. The protest stemmed from alleged inaction against the governor's son, who is accused of assaulting an official at the Puri Raj Bhavan.

Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik led his party lawmakers in a walkout, followed by Congress MLAs led by their legislature party leader Rama Chandra Kadam. Patnaik expressed disappointment outside the assembly, accusing the current government of failing to act against the governor's son for the alleged assault, describing it as a collapse of law and order in the state.

In their respective meetings, both parties resolved to address several issues during the session, including the alleged mismanagement during Rath Yatra and the rising prices of essential commodities. Despite the boycott, opposition members returned to attend the House's obituary references for several notable figures, after which the proceedings were adjourned until Tuesday.

(With inputs from agencies.)