India News | BJD Says It Won't Participate in Orientation Programme for MLAs

Bhubaneswar, Aug 15 (PTI) The opposition BJD on Thursday said its MLAs would not participate in the two-day orientation programme at the assembly.

In a letter to Speaker Surama Padhy, BJD's chief whip Pramila Mallik said inviting central ministers to inaugurate the programme and address the MLAs goes against the established conventions of dignity of the assembly

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"While we will have been normally delighted to attend and cooperate with you in the spirit of best legislative traditions, we have decided not to participate on account of our conscious objections," she said.

"It is undignified to make the Hon'ble CM an ordinary speaker at the function within the Assembly premises. Relegating the state chief minister to a second category functionary in a function within the Assembly premises undermines the state and the pre-eminence of the state as recognised in our federal set-up," she added.

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Mallik said the CM is supposed to be before central ministers in a protocol followed by the government in all functions held within the state.

"This is a significant violation of protocol and undermines the dignity of the CM in his own state," she said.

The orientation programme will be held on August 17 and 18.

As per the schedule, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will inaugurate the programme, and Union Health Minister JP Nadda will address the valedictory session.

The BJD has 51 members in the 147-seat assembly.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)