Odisha CM slams Opposition for stalling Assembly

Replying to the discussions on the voting on demands for grants of the home and general administration department, Majhi condemned the Congress lawmakers for attempting to disrupt the House over alleged crimes against women and girls in residential schools. Calling their actions "unfortunate" and "baseless," he maintained that a comparative analysis of crime rates during his government’s nine-month tenure versus the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government under Naveen Patnaik demonstrated a significant decline in criminal activities.

Majhi emphasised that his government prioritises law and order, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to women's safety.

“We red-flag critical cases, ensuring speedy investigations and higher conviction rates," he asserted. He expressed disappointment over the Opposition’s absence from the home department’s discussion, stating that their participation could have been constructive.

In an effort to turn the tables on the Opposition, Majhi recalled several high-profile crimes that occurred during the Congress government in the previous century and the 24-year BJD rule from 2000 to 2024. He cited the murder of Naba Kishore Das, a Cabinet minister in the Naveen Patnaik government, and criticised the previous administration’s handling of the investigation, which he claimed was assigned to "probationary" officers.

Majhi questioned the Opposition’s reluctance to debate the whitepaper presented by the government on law and order.

“If they had genuine concerns, they should have engaged with the facts we presented. Instead, they chose to flee the House. Can they name a single crime case under our tenure where we have shown leniency or extended political patronage?” he challenged.

Reiterating his government’s “zero tolerance" policy, the Chief Minister highlighted the accelerated pace of crime investigations and charge-sheet filings, leading to a higher conviction rate. He also took a swipe at his predecessor, Naveen Patnaik, for his continued absence from the ongoing Assembly session. "When he was Chief Minister, he was rarely seen in the House. The trend continues even today. At one point, we had to launch a search operation for him, carrying lanterns in our hands," Majhi quipped.

The Chief Minister contrasted his administration’s approach to public grievance redressal with that of his predecessor.

“Unlike the previous government, which ignored grievance centres for 16 years, we have already addressed over 9,000 cases, with an 83 per cent resolution rate,” he claimed.

He further asserted that crimes against women and children had significantly decreased during his nine-month tenure compared to the corresponding period under the previous government. Additionally, he pointed to a decline in Left-Wing Extremism, advancements in police modernisation, and the adoption of state-of-the-art technology in crime investigation units.

The session witnessed tumultuous scenes, with all 14 Congress MLAs being suspended for “unruly” behavior. Meanwhile, BJD lawmakers abstained from participating in the demand discussion.

With the political climate in Odisha heating up, Majhi’s statements set the stage for an intensified battle between the ruling government and the Opposition as the state heads toward crucial legislative debates and electoral confrontations.