Odisha MLA caught surfing porn in House, suspended

BHUBANESWAR: Congress MLA Naba Kishore Das, who was on Monday caught allegedly watching pornographic video clips on his mobile phone in the state Assembly, was on Tuesday suspended by Speaker Niranjan Pujari for seven days.

The Speaker suspended Mr Das following a motion moved by government chief whip Ananta Das.

Soon after the suspension of Mr Das, the the Congress MLAs held a meeting in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly Narasingha Mishra where the party condemned the decision of the Speaker.

“I condemn the suspension of the Congress member without proper inquiry into the matter. We demand a thorough probe into the incident. If he is found guilty after probe, then action should be initiated,” Narasingha Mishra said in the floor of the House after the meeting.

“The way the Speaker has suspended me for seven days is undemocratic. I had clarified on Monday that I accidentally touched the YouTube application on my mobile phone while searching some information on my homepage. I had sought permission from the Speaker to explain the entire situation. Instead of listening to my pleading, he has suspended me. I would urge him to reconsider the decision and order a probe,” suspended MLA Mr Kishore Das said outside the Assembly.

Demanding reconsideration of suspension decision, the Opposition BJP and Congress members staged a walkout from the Assembly.

After the local news channels aired the video of the Congress MLA watching pornographic videos on his smart phone, ruling Biju Janata Dal’s women’s wing president Pramila Mallick had demanded action against the legislator.

Besides, BJD leader Amar Prasad Satpathy had also demanded action against Das over the incident.

The Jharsuguda legislator was on Monday captured in the camera by a television cameraperson of a news channel while scrolling down the screen of his smartphone during the Question Hour.