Bhubaneswar: Senior Congress leader
Jagdish Tytler was once again targeted on Monday by ruling BJD
MLAs who took exception to his presence at a Congress
Legislature Party (CLP) meeting held yesterday at a committee
room in Orissa Assembly premises.
"Tytler is not a member of this house. Therefore, he
cannot use the committee room meant for MLAs. Assembly is not
a political institution," senior BJD member Ananta Das said
during zero hour.
Das was supported by many ruling BJD MLAs who demanded
unconditional apology from leader of the opposition Bhupinder
Singh of Congress who invited Tytler to the committee room.
The issue concerning Tytler`s presence in committee
room came barely a week after BJD MLAs expressed their
displeasure over the Congress leader`s visit to Sri Jagannath
Temple in Puri on March 16.
BJD MLAs had raised question on Tytler`s visit to Sri
Jagannath Temple after dubbing him a "non-Hindu". Tytler,
however, said he was a Hindu and therefore could visit the
12th century shrine.
The Congress and BJP said there was no fault in Tytler
attending the CLP meeting at the committee room.
"Our (BJP) leaders Pramod Mahajan and Venkaiah Naidu
had attended a joint meeting of BJP-BJD legislature party in
the past. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was also present when
Mahajan and Naidu attended the meeting at the committee room,"
BJP legislature party leader KV Singhdeo said.
Claiming that the ruling BJD was "afraid of" Tytler,
Congress chief whip Prasad Harichandan said there was no harm
in Congress leaders from Delhi attending meeting at a
committee room in Assembly premises.
"Even frontal organisations of political parties can
hold meetings in assembly annexe," he said.
PTI
