Bhubaneswar, March 26: Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy on Thursday suspended two more Congress MLAs, Tara Prasad Bahinipati and Ramesh Chandra Jena, for seven days over alleged unruly behavior. The suspension came after the legislators staged a protest near the Speaker’s podium, beating gongs to raise concerns over women’s safety in the state.

This latest action follows the suspension of 12 Congress MLAs a day earlier on similar grounds, effectively leaving the party without representation in the House for a week. The move has drawn strong reactions from the Congress leadership, who accuse the BJP-led government of suppressing the opposition’s voice.

The Congress party has been actively protesting against what it calls a surge in crimes against women in Odisha. The legislators had demanded the formation of a House committee to address the issue, arguing that the government has failed to ensure women’s safety.

With all 14 Congress MLAs now barred from the Assembly, political tensions have escalated, and the party is expected to intensify its protests outside the legislature in the coming days.

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