Opposition Seeks Health Minister’s Resignation Over SCB Fire Tragedy; BJP Terms Protests Political

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Legislative Assembly on Thursday witnessed heated debates between the treasury authorities and the Opposition; The opposition has demanded the resignation of health minister Mukesh Mahaling over the recent fire tragedy at SCB Medical College and Hospital in which more than a dozen people reportedly lost their lives.

The issue sparked harsh protests in Parliament; The opposition accused the government of failing to ensure the safety of the public hospital and insisted that the minister resign on moral grounds.

Raising the issue, Opposition chief Pramila Mallik questioned the minister’s responsibility and called on him to resign, stating that such a move would uphold the principles of political responsibility. He argued that while the parties currently in power were in Opposition, they had demanded similar action from the then government under similar circumstances.

Mallik also referred to a past incident regarding a fire in a private hospital, following which the then health minister resigned and said that this is a precedent that should be followed now. He said Biju Janata Dal will continue its protest in the Assembly until the minister resigns.

“The Minister of Health should morally resign. Many people lost their lives in the fire that broke out in the public hospital. We have been expressing this demand for three days and will continue our action until we assume responsibility.”

However, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party rejected the demand and accused the Opposition of deliberately disrupting the Assembly meetings.

Responding to the allegations, BJP MLA Irasis Acharya said that the Opposition, including BJD and Indian National Congress, are holding protests for political purpose instead of allowing constructive debates in the Assembly.

Acharya said the government took action regarding the incident, including the dismissal of four officials, and expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.

He added that the health minister was ready to respond to the issue during the debate on the adjournment motion, but claimed that the Opposition did not want to allow the Parliament to function smoothly.

This exchange led to repeated disruptions in Parliament, reflecting the deepening political divide over the handling of the hospital fire tragedy.