BJD, Once BJP's Friend In Need, Joins Opposition's Rajya Sabha Walkout
NDTV
The BJD lost power to the BJP in the recently held state polls and scored a blank in the Lok Sabha polls
The Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD), once the BJP's friend in need whose support helped several contentious Bills clear Rajya Sabha during Modi 2.0, were on the other side today. The party's nine MPs joined the Opposition's walkout during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address.
The walkout in the Upper House today followed the Prime Minister's swipe at former UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. "These people are used to running the government on auto pilot and remote pilot. They don't believe in working, they just know how to wait," he said, triggering loud protests from the Opposition.
Opposition MPs led by Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge requested Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar for permission to intervene, but the Chair responded that their conduct was "inappropriate".
