BHUBANESWAR: AMID pandemonium, the Assembly was adjourned twice today as Congress and ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) members traded charges over a privilege motion moved by treasury bench MLAs against mock proceedings held by Opposition in the House to protest the alleged abrupt adjournment of the Assembly in December. The issue cropped up when BJD’s Kalpataru Das and others moved the privilege motion during the zero hour against the Opposition for laying siege to the House after Assembly was adjourned sine die on December 5 ahead of schedule. Terming the capture of the House for 11 days in the intersession period by Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members for a dharna and a mock session as a breach of privilege by Opposition members, Das alleged that it had lowered the dignity of the Assembly. It was a matter of concern that senior persons including leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh, holding a constitutional position, played an active role in making a mockery of democracy, he said. His party colleagues Prabhat Tripathy, Anant Das, Pradip Maharathi, Niranjan Pujari and Amar Prasad Satpathy (NCP) and others said the entire State had been startled as nowhere in the country such an incident had occurred before. Some of the ruling BJD members were heard demanding action against Opposition members for allegedly disrespecting the House. Reacting to the attack, Congress Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan and others accused the Government of adjourning the House a fortnight ahead of schedule in utter disregard to democratic norms. As slogan-shouting Congress members trooped into the well and BJD members shouted from their seats, the Speaker asked the members to maintain order in the House. As repeated appeals for restoration of order went unheeded, the House was first adjourned for 10 minutes. After it reassembled, the House was adjourned again for 10 minutes. Normal business resumed after the second adjournment when the Speaker informed the House that he had taken a decision on the privilege motion moved by treasury bench members and the matter was under consideration.