India, March 25 -- Odisha assembly speaker Surama Padhy on Tuesday suspended 12 Congress legislators for seven days for disrupting proceedings after the House passed a resolution to this effect moved by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief whip Saroj Pradhan.

The Congress lawmakers were demanding that the assembly constitute a committee of lawmakers to look into cases of crimes against women in the state and staged protests in the assembly, while its members played gongs, cymbals and flutes.

The assembly proceedings have been disrupted over the last few days with members of the opposition Congress and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) raising various issues, including an alleged rise in crimes against women.

Congress MLA Ashok Kumar Das s...