BJD joins opposition in walkout against government, YSRCP criticises later for disrupting PM Modi's speech

NEW DELHI: Biju Janata Dal ( BJD ) on Wednesday joined the INDIA bloc parties in staging a walkout while PM Narendra Modi's Motion of Thanks speech in Rajya Sabha. YSRCP , on the other hand criticised the opposition for disrupting the prime minister's speech.

BJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra led his party members in walking out of the Rajya Sabha after he noted that neither President Droupadi Murmu's address nor PM Modi's response included any reference to his party's persistent demand for special category status for Odisha.

"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 told PTI.

Meanwhile, talking about the walkout, YSRCP leader in the Rajya Sabha V Vijayasai Reddy said, "It has to be condemned."

He criticized the opposition's actions as not adhering to sound democratic principles and parliamentary precedents.

YSRCP from Andhra Pradesh and BJD from Odisha maintain significant representation in the Rajya Sabha, where the BJP-led NDA lacks a majority, thus influencing the balance of power on critical issues.