It is a historic first for the Odisha state legislative assembly (OSLA). Leader of the opposition Bhupinder Singh is sitting on dharna in the well of the house for at least two nights beginning Saturday afternoon demanding the Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik's reply on the Itishree murder case. 

The sensational crime in which the Tikiri primary school teacher was doused with kerosene and set ablaze on October 27 by some unknown assailants for complaining against higher authorities who were harassing her sexually has set off a storm of agitation all over the state but this has to be the most unique. 

Singh will be sitting on dharna inside the house till Monday and will only call off his dharna when the chief minister gives a reply. This means that the venerable leader of the opposition will not only take his meals and sleep in the well of the house but also attend to calls of nature. While a determined Singh doggedly prepares for the long haul, the OSLA secretariat and security staff are in a quandary as to how to deal with the awkward situation. 

The sequence of events which led to Singh's action was set off in morning when there was an adjournment motion in the house to debate on the Itishree case. The speaker had admitted the adjournment motion in the morning. However, when the issue was being introduced the treasury bench began shouting slogans against the centre for only giving Rs 250 crore towards restoration work in the cyclone and flood hit areas. The centre had sanctioned Rs 1000 crore, but only Rs 250 crore was released. Later, the speaker adjourned the house till 3 pm. When the house resumed Singh demanded that the CM should reply as to why he did not discuss on the adjournment motion. He also demanded that the CM should reply in the house.

Seeing the mood of the leader of opposition who had been sitting on dharna in the well of the house, the speaker Pradeep Amata gave a ruling the CM will answer on Monday when the house commences. The opposition's take on the events is that the CM is scared to face the debate and the slogan shouting and disruption of proceedings were stage managed by the ruling party to avoid an embarrassing situation in the assembly. Singh alleged that the CM deliberately avoided discussing the issue which was a matter of great concern as the safety and security of women in Odisha is in grave danger.

Reacting spontaneously to the remarks of the opposition Panchayati Raj Minister, Kalpaturu Das requested the leader of the opposition to call off the dharna as the matter will be discussed on Monday. Das said that it is unprecedented for the leader of the opposition to sit in dharna in the well of the House in such a manner but Singh was bent on his novel form of protest.