The Odisha Assembly’s monsoon session opened on Tuesday amid chaos as opposition members rushed the House’s well in protest of the recently passed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, and errors found in new school textbooks. The disruption forced the Speaker, Surama Padhy, to adjourn proceedings until 1.10 p.m., after a failed attempt to restore order.
The session began with an obituary reference to six former assembly members and to those who lost their lives in the Nepal flash floods, setting a somber tone before the ensuing turmoil.
BJD and Congress legislators entered the well, with BJD MPs highlighting textbook inaccuracies while Congress representatives demanded the repeal of the MMDR Amendment Act. The opposition’s outcry was met with criticism from BJP MLA Irasish Acharya, who said the government had already addressed the textbook issue and that the protests were unnecessary.
Following the adjournment, BJD legislators joined a “Gherao” agitation on Mahatma Gandhi Marg, joined by the party’s youth and student wings. Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik vowed to press for the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over the distribution of error‑ridden books. The nine‑day session, slated to run until October 3, is expected to introduce six key bills.
