2 Odisha MLAs throw ‘dal’ at Speaker podium, suspended

The Odisha Assembly on Thursday suspended two BJP MLAs—Mohan Charan Majhi (Keonjhar) and Mukesh Mahaling (Loisingha)—for the rest of the monsoon session after they allegedly threw ‘dal’ towards the Speaker’s podium.

The two legislators, however, denied that they threw ‘dal’ at the Speaker Pramila Malik’s  podium. Mahaling said they presented ‘dal’ to the Speaker and didn’t throw it.

On what was the rationale behind “presenting” ‘dal’ to the Speaker, Mahaling said Mallik had resigned as the women and child development minister in 2011 in the wake of a Rs 700-crore scam in the purchase of pulses for mid-day-meal scheme.