Textbook errors and MMDR Amendment Act dominate opening day; Speaker adjourns House twice as Opposition protest continues
BHUBANESWAR: The Monsoon Session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly opened on Tuesday with a sharp political confrontation after Opposition members of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress moved into the Well of the House carrying placards and raising slogans over two major issues — alleged errors in school textbooks and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026.
The protest came soon after the House completed its opening condolence proceedings and moved into Question Hour. With Opposition members continuing their demonstration near the Speaker’s podium, normal legislative business was disrupted.
Condolence proceedings before the uproar
The session began on a solemn note.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi moved condolence resolutions remembering six former members of the Assembly who had passed away. The House also expressed grief over deaths in the recent flash-flood tragedy in Nepal.
Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, Congress Legislature Party leader Ramachandra Kadam and CPI(M) leader Laxman Munda joined the condolence proceedings. Members observed a minute’s silence in memory of those who had died.
The mood changed sharply once Question Hour began.
BJD legislators move into Well
BJD MLAs entered the Well with placards and raised slogans over alleged mistakes in newly distributed school textbooks for Classes I to VIII.
The party demanded accountability from the government and called for the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over the issue.
BJD Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik said the party wanted the minister to take responsibility and also demanded recovery of additional public expenditure incurred in correcting and replacing the textbooks. These are the BJD’s stated allegations and demands.
Congress focuses on MMDR Amendment Act
Congress MLAs raised a separate but equally contentious issue — the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026.
The party demanded that the amended mining legislation be withdrawn and sought discussion on what it says could be its implications for Odisha’s mineral resources, state revenue and related rights. These are claims and demands made by Congress leaders, rather than established findings.
Congress leaders have indicated that the mining law will remain a major issue for the party during the session.
Speaker appeals for order
As the Opposition protest continued, Speaker Surama Padhy repeatedly appealed to the legislators to return to their seats and allow Question Hour to proceed.
The appeals did not immediately restore order.
With legislators continuing to remain in the Well, the Speaker adjourned the House at around 11:36 AM until 1:10 PM. Question Hour and Zero Hour were consequently affected.
Second round of disruption after 1:10 PM
The confrontation did not end with the first adjournment.
When the Assembly reconvened at 1:10 PM, Opposition members again continued their protest. With the disruption persisting, the proceedings were subsequently adjourned again, this time until 4 PM.
The repeated adjournments meant the opening day saw substantial interruption to the planned legislative business.
Textbook issue had already become a major flashpoint
The textbook controversy had been building before the Assembly session began.
The BJD’s youth and student wings had announced a two-day Assembly gherao beginning September 22, demanding the resignation of Minister Nityananda Gond over alleged errors in Class I-VIII textbooks. The party had also called for an inquiry into the matter.
At the same time, the School and Mass Education Department had begun distributing revised textbooks after reviewing the reported errors. More than 44,000 corrected books were supplied on the first day of the revised distribution, including 41,150 Odia textbooks and 3,150 Urdu textbooks, according to a report citing department officials.
This government corrective action and the Opposition’s demand for political accountability have now become competing positions in the Assembly debate.
BJD protest moves outside Assembly
After the initial adjournment, BJD legislators also joined the party’s youth and student wings at Lower PMG/Mahatma Gandhi Marg, where a protest was organised over the textbook issue.
The demonstrators continued their demand for ministerial accountability and sought action over the textbook controversy.
Government says it is ready for discussion
The ruling side has maintained that the government is prepared to discuss issues raised by the Opposition.
BJP MLA Tankadhar Tripathy said the government was ready to respond to issues in the Assembly and that the Speaker would determine the appropriate procedure for taking them up.
The government had also indicated before the session that it was prepared to discuss matters concerning Odisha’s interests, including the MMDR Amendment Act. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling said six Bills were expected to be brought during the session.
Nine-day session begins under pressure
The Monsoon Session is scheduled to continue until October 3, with nine working days.
Before the session, the Speaker had appealed to all parties to cooperate in ensuring constructive discussion. The Opposition, however, had already identified several issues it planned to raise, including the MMDR Amendment Act, textbook errors, question-paper leaks, unemployment, law and order and women’s safety.
The opening day’s scenes have now put those issues at the centre of the Assembly’s political agenda.
What lies ahead
The immediate focus will be on whether the government and Opposition can move the disputed issues from street-level protest and slogan-shouting into structured legislative debate.
For the Opposition, the textbook controversy and MMDR Amendment Act are being presented as major matters requiring government answers. The government, meanwhile, has said it is ready to discuss issues through the Assembly’s established procedures.
With several sitting days still remaining, the Odisha Assembly is set for continued debate over education, mining policy, public expenditure and other governance issues.
GTNS NEWS DESK | BHUBANESWAR