On Wednesday, the Opposition MPs raised slogans during PM Modi's speech in Rajya Sabha after the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge was not allowed to intervene during the address.
BJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra led his party colleagues in walking out of the Rajya Sabha, along with the opposition INDIA bloc parties.
V Vijayasai Reddy, the YSRCP leader in the Rajya Sabha, condemned the Opposition's protests in Lok Sabha when the Prime Minister spoke there on Tuesday.
Despite their dismal performance in Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, the YSRCP and BJD continue to have a sizeable presence in the Rajya Sabha.
The BJD has no MP in the Lok Sabha, while the YSRCP has four members in the Lower House.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which supported the BJP on many occassions in Parliament earlier, on Wednesday joined the Opposition as they staged a walkout over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address. However, the BJP found support from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which condemned the Opposition for disruptions during PM's speech.
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Both YSRCP and the BJD stayed away from any national-level alliance during the recently concluded Lok Sabha election and Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. While both parties saw a dismal turnout in the general election, they also lost power in their respective states -- YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh and BJD in Odisha.
On Wednesday, the Opposition MPs raised slogans during PM Modi's speech in Rajya Sabha after the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge was not allowed to intervene during the address.
BJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra led his party colleagues in walking out of the Rajya Sabha, along with the opposition INDIA bloc parties.
"It was just another, same routine reply from the Prime Minister, counting the same achievements of his government. It makes no sense to sit through another deliberation when the aspirations and demands of the people of Odisha find no presence," Patra was quoted as saying by news agency PTI outside Parliament.
Patra also said there was no mention of Odisha and their longstanding demand for special category status in the speeches of President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi.
He further said that there was also no reflection of his party's demand for an increase in coal royalty, and highway, railway and telecom presence in the eastern state.
The YSRCP, meanwhile, kept away from such protests. V Vijayasai Reddy, the YSRCP leader in the Rajya Sabha, condemned the Opposition's protests in Lok Sabha when the Prime Minister spoke there on Tuesday.
"It has to be condemned," Reddy said, adding that PM Modi's speech should have been heard patiently as he was only responding to questions raised by different MPs.
"What the opposition has done is not in accordance with sound democratic principals and precedents in Parliament," Reddy said.
Notably, both YSRCP and BJD supported the ruling BJP on key legislative matters in Parliament during its previous term at the Centre.
Despite their dismal performance in Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, the YSRCP and BJD continue to have a sizeable presence in the Rajya Sabha. Their role has become important as the BJP-led NDA does not have a majority in the Upper House.
The BJD has nine members in the 245-member House, while the YSRCP has 11. The BJD has no MP in the Lok Sabha, while the YSRCP has four members in the Lower House.
Published By: Rishabh Sharma Published On: Jul 3, 2024
