The Odisha Assembly witnessed unprecedented turmoil on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, as ruling BJP and opposition Congress members engaged in a physical scuffle in the well of the House, prompting multiple adjournments. The chaos erupted during Question Hour when senior BJP MLA Jaynarayan Mishra rushed towards Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati, who was confronting Urban Development Minister K C Mohapatra amid ongoing protests. Bahinipati had earlier tried to climb the Speaker’s podium to disrupt proceedings but failed as Speaker Surama Padhy continued Question Hour despite the din.

Bahinipati alleged, “Mishra caught hold of my shirt collar and pushed me. I was requesting Minister Mohapatra with folded hands to stop replying as the House was not in order.” Soon, other BJP members joined the fray, clashing with Congress MLAs raising anti-government slogans. Speaker Padhy adjourned the House till noon, later extending it to 2 pm and then 4 pm as protests persisted. BJD members, present in the well, did not participate in the scuffle.

The opposition protested separate issues: BJD demanded Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi clarify Mishra’s remark calling the 1936 Koshala-Odisha merger a “historical mistake,” while Congress highlighted rising crimes against women. BJP MLAs, including Irashish Acharya and Upasana Mohapatra, demanded action against opposition members for disrupting proceedings and disrespecting the Speaker. Congress MLAs staged a sit-in near the Mahatma Gandhi statue, while BJD members, wearing black badges, symbolically “searched” for the absent CM with a lantern.

Congress MLA Sofia Firdous criticized the Speaker’s decision to proceed amid chaos, noting women members felt panicked. BJD’s Arun Kumar Sahoo called the clash unprecedented, while BJP’s Tankadhar Tripathy condemned the opposition for attempting to break the minister’s mic and throwing posters at the Speaker, demanding an apology.