As the denizens of Bhubaneswar gear up to celebrate the 75th Foundation Day of the Smart City on Thursday, local BJP MP, Aparajita Sarangi has expressed displeasure for not being invited to attend the event again.
She was reportedly not invited to the event last year too.
Taking to the micro-blogging site Twitter, the Parliamentarian expressed dissatisfaction over the development. She asked the State government what was her fault for her exclusion from the invitees' list.
“On 75th Capital Foundation Day tomorrow, State Govt & BMC choose not to invite the elected Member of Parliament of Bhubaneswar! It is a repeat performance of last year. Humiliation of the People of Bhubaneswar once again! Is it intentional? My fault??” she tweeted. (sic)
In another tweet she posted the letter she had sent to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik drawing his attention to the exclusion of her name from the Foundation Day programme in 2022. She asked, “Is it deliberate or sheer indifference.”
Speaking to the reporters, Sarangi said, “MP is a constitutional position. This has not been given to me by the pity of the State government. And it is Bhubaneswar’s foundation day, not a party programme of the BJD.”
“The State government should introspect and ask itself why and at which level the foundation day is being celebrated. Besides, I will definitely raise the issue at appropriate forums,” Sarangi added.
Asked about Sarangi’s allegations, Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das refused to comment on the matter.