February 19th 2025.
The Odisha Assembly session came to a sudden halt on Wednesday as members from the Opposition parties, BJD and Congress, caused chaos and commotion. They accused the BJP-led state government of trying to manipulate Mission Shakti, an initiative aimed at empowering women, by making changes to its executive committee in a way that would promote the saffron party's agenda.
As soon as the session began for the Question Hour, BJD and Congress members stormed into the well of the House and began shouting slogans against the BJP government. Senior BJD member Ranendra Pratap Swain raised concerns that the state government was planning to restructure the executive committee of Mission Shakti by including BJP members in the panel. Dhruva Charan Sahu, another BJD member, also alleged that the government had written to district collectors to carry out this restructuring.
Adding to the chaos, BJD members held up placards while Congress member Taraprasad Bahinipati attempted to climb onto the Speaker's podium. With the House unable to proceed with its business, Speaker Surama Padhy adjourned the session until 4pm, only two minutes after it had begun.
After the adjournment, BJD members staged a protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Assembly premises, expressing their dissent towards the government's efforts to restructure Mission Shakti. This initiative, launched on March 8, 2001, by former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, aims to empower women by involving them in self-help groups and addressing their social, economic, and political needs.
Overall, the Assembly session was cut short due to the Opposition's uproar over the alleged manipulation of Mission Shakti, highlighting the importance and sensitivity of empowering women in the state.
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