BHUBANESWAR: The Opposition BJD and Congress have decided to stick to their stand and boycott the orientation programme for MLAs scheduled to start from Saturday despite the softening of approach by the ruling BJP.
Following boycott threat from the Opposition, the names of Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Health minister JP Nadda were dropped from the guest list and replaced with Union Parliamentary Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju and Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh. The revised schedule issued to all MLAs stated that Rijiju would inaugurate the programme and Harivansh would deliver the valedictory speech the next day.
But BJD persisted with its stand that it is undignified to make the chief minister an ordinary speaker within the Assembly premises as he is the head of the government of Odisha and leader of the House. In a letter to Speaker Surama Padhy, Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik said relegating the state chief minister to a second category functionary in a function within the Assembly premises undermines the state and pre-eminence of the state as recognised in the federal set up.
Mallik said the CM is ahead of the central ministers in the established protocol in all functions held within the state. It is the collective responsibility of all to maintain the dignity, decorum and integrity of the Assembly and the chief minister, she said.
As per the revised schedule, Speaker Padhy, CM Mohan Majhi, leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik and Parliamentary Affairs minister Mukesh Mahaling will address the inaugural function. However, BJD leader Ganeswar Behera said BJD will organise orientation for its MLAs at Sankha Bhawan.