Odisha CM’s Virtual Presence During Budget Presentation A Violation Of Democratic Traditions: BJP

Bhubaneswar: Odisha president of BJP Samir Mohanty has expressed concern over media reports that chief minister Naveen Patnaik will be present on virtual mode from Rome during presentation of Budget in the Assembly on July 2.

Mohanty said it has been reported in a section of media that the chief minister is likely to be virtually present in the Assembly when Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari will present the full-fledged Budget for 2022-23 financial year. If the chief minister has decided to go on foreign tour at the beginning of monsoon session, it will be violation of democratic practices and Assembly tradition, the BJP president added.

“It is not acceptable that the chief minister will not be physically present during the Budget presentation. Attending the Assembly session on virtual platform is not a good sign for democratic traditions,” said Mohanty.

Stating that Assembly is a temple of democracy for 4.5 crore people of Odisha, he said, “Various issues related to the state’s development are deliberated during discussion on the Budget in the Assembly. The absence of the chief minister during this crucial session of the Assembly is open violation of the practices that have been followed since Independence.”

It would have been better if the chief minister had planned his overseas tour before or after the presentation of the Budget, said Mohanty in a release.