Bhubaneswar, April 26: The alleged link of food supplies minister Sanjay Das Burma with sham deposit collection company Artha Tatwa today led the Opposition to stall the proceedings on the first day of the second phase of the Assembly session.

If the heat inside the House was not enough, the Congress organised an impressive rally demanding the resignation of the minister.

The Congress was in a combative mood notwithstanding the fact that its state youth wing president Rajat Choudhury was interrogated by the CBI for the second consecutive day today for his alleged links with the Artha Tatwa (AT) group, which has allegedly duped thousands of investors.

As the ruling party questioned the "moral right" of the Congress to raise the issue, the party claimed that Choudhury had resigned from his post, a claim that was subsequently contested by Choudhury himself.

Earlier during the day senior Congress leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra aka Lulu had said: "Rajat has decided to step down on moral grounds and his resignation letter will be forwarded to the All India Congress Committee."

He also showed a piece of folded paper claiming it to be the resignation letter of Rajat. However, Choudhury later asserted that he had not resigned.

"I have not stepped down from the post nor do I have any such plans," he told The Telegraph.

On Monday, he had been grilled for around three hours. Sources in the CBI said that Choudhury was allegedly working as an associate director in the AT group. It is also being alleged that he had received money to facilitate a land deal on behalf of the group that is accused of gifting a luxury sports utility vehicle to Das Burma.

Outside the Assembly, hundreds of Congress activists today scuffled with police while trying to force their way into the legislative building.

Several senior Congress leaders, including Pradesh Congress Committee chief Prasad Harichandan and leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra, took part in the demonstration demanding the resignation of Das Burma.

The police had a tough time controlling the Congress workers. The Congress leaders made it clear that they would continue their agitation both in and outside the Assembly until the minister resigned.

They said that the BJD government was involved neck deep in mining as well as deposit collection scams and was refusing to take action against the guilty as that would expose the party.

Among others present in the rally were former Union minister Srikanta Jena and Chandrasekhar Sahoo, Niranjan Patnaik, Jayadev Jena, deputy leader in the Assembly Chiranjib Biswal and former Assembly Speakers Sarat Kar and Kishore Patel.

In the Assembly today, as soon as the House met after a 25-day break, members of the Congress and the BJP stormed the well because the ruling party did not agree to a discussion on the scam.

Speaker Niranjan Pujari rejected the notice given by the Opposition for allowing an adjournment motion on the issue saying that the matter was "sub judice."

While the Congress and the BJP members shouted slogans against the chief minister for shielding his tainted party men, the BJD members retaliated with counter slogans against the Opposition parties for ignoring the problems faced by the people.

They raised the demand for a discussion on the drinking water crisis prevailing in the state. The pandemonium in the House forced Pujari to adjourn the proceedings till afternoon.

The Speaker called it a day after the Opposition members staged a walk out. During the entire day, the House transacted business barely for a few minutes.

Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, Narasingha Mishra said: "We staged a protest as the Speaker disallowed our adjournment notice. It seems chief minister Naveen Patnaik and his party are scared to discuss the scam as his own men are involved."

BJD spokesperson Pratap Jena, however, said: "The Congress and the BJP have no moral right to demand Das Burma's resignation as their leaders are also involved in the Vyapam and deposit collection scams. We are prepared to discuss deposit collection scam, but we want the more important drinking water problem to be discussed first".