BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Assembly speaker Niranjan Pujari on Tuesday suspended Congress MLA Naba Kishore Das for seven days for watching porn clips inside the assembly on his mobile phone on Monday.

The speaker sent the matter to ethics committee for further probe.

A local TV channel, which was broadcasting the proceedings, shot law maker Naba Kishore Das, who represents Jharsuguda assembly segment, watching objectionable content during question hour.

In his defence Das said, he had opened YouTube accidentally.“While trying to open my own social media page, I accidentally touched YouTube. I scrolled down unwittingly when the TV camera shot me,” Das told reporters.

Das said he would submit petition before the speaker explaining the sequence of events. “I never watch porn. What happened is unfortunate. If an inquiry is conducted, I will come clean,” said the second-time MLA. Das said facts were being misrepresented, which could be part of a conspiracy against him. He, however, said he can’t raise a needle of suspicion at anyone at this stage. “I am unnecessarily being defamed,” he said.

Das’ party colleagues said they were yet to ascertain facts. “I don’t know the details. But I saw Das explaining he did not watch porn,” said Congress MLA Bhujabal Majhi.

The incident, re-run of a similar episode inside Karnataka assembly in 2012, in which two ministers were filmed watching porn, has created furore in the political circle in the state.

Pramila Mallik, a BJD MLA, took up the matter with speaker Niranjan Pujari demanding action against Das. “Such perversion inside the temple of democracy can’t be tolerated. It is shameful. I have requested the speaker to order an immediate inquiry and take action against the erring MLA,” Mallik told TOI.

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