Bhubaneswar: On Wednesday, opposition legislators in the Odisha Assembly caused a significant uproar, demanding the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond due to mistakes in school textbooks. This led to the assembly being adjourned until 4 pm.

When the House convened for Question Hour at 10:30 am on the second day of the monsoon session, members from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress entered the well of the House with placards and protested near the Speaker’s podium, calling for Gond’s resignation and the withdrawal of the new mining law.

The BJD legislators highlighted the textbook errors, while their Congress counterparts insisted on the repeal of the MMDR Act. Some of the protesting members stood on the reporters’ table, while another faction attempted to ascend the Speaker’s podium.

Meanwhile, members from the treasury benches remained quietly seated as the opposition shouted anti-government slogans from the well of the House.

The situation intensified when Deputy Speaker Bhabani Shankar Bhoi, who was overseeing the proceedings, allowed Science and Technology Minister K C Patra to address the opposition’s concerns. However, Bhoi’s request for the protesting members to return to their seats was ignored, leading to the deputy speaker adjourning the session just five minutes after it began.

After the adjournment, BJD MLAs proceeded to Mahatma Gandhi Marg to join a protest organized by the party’s youth and student wings, who were also demanding Gond’s resignation.