Odisha’s BJD To Attend New Parliament Building Inauguration; Calls Event A ‘Momentous Occasion’

Bhubaneswar: Ending all speculations, Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday announced that party members will attend the inauguration of the new Parliament building in on May 28.

The Naveen Patnaiik-led regional party released a statement confirming that party members will attend the event in New Delhi.

“The President of India is the Head of the Indian State. The Parliament represents the 1.4 billion people of India. Both the institutions are symbols of Indian democracy and draw their authority from the Constitution of India,” BJD’s national spokesperson and MP Sasmit Patra said in the statement.

Further stating that “these Constitutional institutions should be above any issue which may affect their sanctity and honour,” the party said that the BJD will attend the “momentous occasion.”

Meanwhile, at least 19 opposition parties led by the Congress on Wednesday announced their decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had last week invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi  to inaugurate the building. Terming it as complete sidelining of President Droupadi Murmu,, the Opposition parties in a joint statement also said it is a “direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate response”. The statement said that the honour, instead of the PM, belongs to the President.