Baijayant Panda tenders resignation from Lok Sabha

Odisha MP Baijayant Jay Panda, who had resigned from the Biju Janata Dal last month, on Tuesday announced he has tendered his resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

"In letter to Naveen Patnaik on my intent to dissociate from BJD, I'd said on completion of my father's kriyas I'd resign from LS. The day after they ended, I sought to meet Hon' Speaker as per custom. It wasn't possible & i understand she's since gone abroad, so I've had it delivered," Panda said in a tweet.

Panda, who was suspended from the primary membership of the party for anti-party activities on January 24, had resigned from the BJD on May 28.

While quitting the BJD, Panda, in a letter to party President and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, said that he would convey his decision formally to the the Lok Sabha Speaker to accept his resignation from the House upon completion of rites for his deceased father Bansidhar Panda.

After his father's demise, Panda has taken umbrage as Patnaik did not visit him to personally pay his condolences.

Senior Panda, a noted Odia industrialist, passed away on May 22 at the age of 87.

The Kendrapada MP said: "It has plumbed the absolute depths of inhumanity when neither you nor anyone from the BJD turned up to pay their last respects to my father Bansidhar Panda, who as everyone knows was a very close friend, supporter and associate of Biju uncle (Biju Patnaik) for decades."

--IANS

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