Opposition Demands White Paper on Kandhamal Riots

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BHUBANESWAR, DEC 10 (PTI) Demanding a white paper on the Kandhamal violence, the opposition members today stalled the Orissa assembly forcing adjournment of the House three times and postponment of a debate on the recent riots. Though the government chief whip Bikram Keshari Arukh moved a motion in this regard, the debate could not be initiated as the opposition members created a pandemonium demanding a white paper on the Kandhamal riots. As the opposition members stuck to their demand, Speaker Kishore Mohanty postponed the debate till tomorrow. Earlier the government at the business advisory committee meeting had agreed to give a white paper on Kandhamal situation. However, they did not oblige the assurance, deputy leader of opposition Narasingha Mishra said. Stating that the government should place a white paper or a base paper before going to debate on sensitive issues, Mishra wondered as to why the treasury bench was afraid of producing an official document. Parliamentary Affairs minister Raghunath Mohanty, however, argued that there was no hard and fast rule to place white paper before initiating a debate on any sensitive issue. Law minister B B Harichandan claimed that since the matter was under investigation by the commission of inquiry, it was not possible to place an official document on the situation in the House. Excise minister Debi Prasad Mishra accused the opposition of running away from the debate on Kandhamal issue.