Bhubaneswar: Claiming "complete break down" of Constitutional machinery in the state, Opposition Congress on Saturday appealed to Odisha Governor S C Jamir to recommend dissolution of the Assembly and demanded resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the issue of "chit fund scam".
"We will appeal to you for invoking Article 356 of the Constitution of India and recommend to His Excellency, the President of India, for dissolution of the Assembly," a memorandum submitted by the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) said.
A delegation led by Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra met Jamir at Raj Bhavan and submitted the memorandum and a copy of the CLP resolution in this regard.
The opposition leader also demanded resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and removal of chit fund commission head Justice M M Das whose remark on chit fund investors sparked off a controversy a few days back.
"We have made three demands as the Congress can no more tolerate the dictatorship of the ruling party. We in the Opposition tried our best to help the Speaker run the House.
But they (ruling members) are in no mood to cooperate with us. So we placed our demand before the Governor that President's rule should be invoked in the State," Mishra stated.
Stating that never in Parliamentary practice is a Leader of Opposition prevented from having his say on the floor of the Assembly, the memorandum said the state government through its spokesperson and minister have openly replied that the
Leader of Opposition will never be allowed to participate in any discussion unless he begs unconditional apology.
"This is something unheard of. Members of the ruling party paralysed the proceedings of the House for two full days and that to when demand discussion were to take place," they said adding that demand of different departments could not be passed. They said this amounts to denial of Constitutional rights of the members of the Legislative Assembly.
