BJD MLAs disrupt Odisha House over Polavaram project, write to President

The Polavaram project issue rocked the Odisha Assembly for the third day on Friday, as the ruling BJD members stalled proceedings and submitted a memorandum on it to President Pranab Mukherjee through Governor SC Jamir. BJD members rushed to the well of the House as soon as it assembled for Question Hour and accused the Centre of adopting an ‘anti-Odisha’ stand by declaring Polavaram — an Andhra Pradesh irrigation project that they fear will inundate parts of Odisha — a national project. Unable to run the House, Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the Assembly till 3 pm. Later, BJD MLAs, including ministers, marched to the Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum addressed to the President.