Bhubaneswar, Dec. 13: Congress members today did not allow the Assembly to transact any business demanding the resignation of revenue and disaster management minister Surya Narayan Patro for misleading the House on central assistance to the state.

Though Patro admitted his guilt yesterday for giving incorrect information to the Assembly, it was not acceptable to the Congress members, who demanded his scalp. As soon as the House met in the morning, the Congress members rushed to the Well shouting slogans. They displayed banners seeking Patro’s resignation.

Patro had told the Assembly on Wednesday that the Centre had released only Rs 250 crore towards Phailin relief and rehabilitation package. Congress chief whip Prasad Harichandan yesterday produced official communications suggesting to the effect that the state had already received Rs 1,000 crore.

Accusing the BJD of playing politics on the issue of central assistance, the Congress MLAs demanded that the minister should be asked to resign. In the morning, the House met for 30 seconds. Following a series of adjournments, Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat adjourned the House till Monday.

After the House was adjourned, the Congress MLAs sat on a dharna on the Assembly premises. The Assembly witnessed uproarious scenes when the House reassembled in the afternoon. The Congress members were seen moving around the House carrying banners and accusing the BJD of misleading the people and dubbing the minister as a “liar”.

BJD legislature party chief whip Pravat Tripathy, deputy chief whip Sanjay Kumar Dasburma and firebrand party MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain tried to come to the government’s rescue. “Even if the Centre has released Rs 750 crore, it is mere 5 per cent of Rs 5,832 crore demanded by our government,” said Tripathy, adding that the Centre had given Rs 2,442.02 crore calamity assistance during 2000-2013 as against a demand of Rs 25,430. 5 crore.

Dasburma said the Centre had sanctioned the same amount to Andhra Pradesh, even as its one district was affected by Phailin as against 18 districts in Odisha. “Whatever the Centre has given, it’s our rightful demand,” said Swain.

Later, Patro dismissed his demand for resignation and branded Congress as “anti-Odisha”.

Besides, a delegation of Congress leaders, led by Pradesh Congress Committee president Jaydev Jena, met governor S.C. Jamir and urged him to immediately replace state election commissioner Ajit Kumar Tripathy to ensure free and fair election.

“The committee has lost its confidence over the state election commissioner, who is virtually dancing to the tunes of chief minister Naveen Patnaik,” said Jena.

Jena said he had written to the state election commissioner to step down on moral grounds.

Tripathy, however, asserted that he had acted impartially. “The allegation levelled by the Congress is false and baseless. I will explain it to the governor, to whom I am accountable,” he said.