Opposition Seeks Health Minister’s Resignation Over SCB Fire Tragedy; BJP Terms Protests Political
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, however, rejected the demand and accused the Opposition of deliberately disrupting Assembly proceedings.
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Legislative Assembly on Thursday witnessed heated exchanges between the treasury benches and the Opposition as the latter demanded the resignation of health minister Mukesh Mahaling over the recent fire tragedy at SCB Medical College and Hospital that reportedly claimed more than a dozen lives.
The issue triggered sharp protests in the House, with the Opposition accusing the government of failing to ensure safety at the state-run hospital and insisting that the minister step down on moral grounds.
Raising the matter, Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik questioned the minister’s accountability and urged him to resign, stating that such a move would uphold the principles of political responsibility. She argued that when parties now in power were in the Opposition, they had demanded similar action from the then government in comparable circumstances.
Mallik also cited a past incident involving a fire at a private hospital, following which the then health minister had resigned, calling it a precedent that should be followed now. She said the Biju Janata Dal would continue its protest in the Assembly until the minister stepped down.
“The health minister should resign on moral grounds. Several people have lost their lives in the fire incident at a government hospital. We have been raising this demand for the past three days and will continue our protest until he takes responsibility,” she said.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, however, rejected the demand and accused the Opposition of deliberately disrupting Assembly proceedings.
Responding to the allegations, BJP MLA Irasis Acharya said the Opposition, including the BJD and the Indian National Congress, was staging protests for political mileage rather than allowing constructive debate in the House.
Acharya said the government had already taken action in connection with the incident, including the suspension of four officials, and expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.
He added that the health minister was ready to respond to the matter during discussions on an adjournment motion, but alleged that the Opposition was unwilling to allow the House to function smoothly.
The exchange led to repeated disruptions in the Assembly, reflecting the deepening political divide over the handling of the hospital fire tragedy.
