Decision to boycott President's address to Parliament most unfortunate: Prahlad Joshi to Oppn

Describing the opposition parties' move to boycott the President's address to Parliament as the "most unfortunate", Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday urged them to reconsider their decision.

Talking to reporters here, he said the issues cited by the opposition parties for boycotting the President's address can be raised during the debate on the motion of thanks.

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He said the President was above party politics and the BJP as an opposition party never boycotted the President's address.

A day before the start of the Budget Session of Parliament, 16 opposition parties led by the Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena and the TMC on Thursday decided to boycott the president's address to the joint sitting of both the Houses in solidarity with the farmers protesting the new farm laws.

Announcing the decision, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said the 16 opposition parties also demanded an independent probe into the Centre's role in the violence that shook the national capital during the farmers' tractor parade on Republic Day.

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Separately, AAP's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said his party too will boycott the president's address over the ongoing farmer protest.