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NDA slams Oppn parties' 'audacity' to boycott Parliament launch event: Full statement
The NDA launched a scathing counterattack on the opposition parties for their decision to boycott the new Parliament building's inauguration.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) - comprising 13 political parties - on Wednesday launched a scathing counterattack on the opposition parties for their decision to boycott the new Parliament building's inauguration. Asking the opposition parties to reconsider their decision, the NDA said that “the people of India will not forget their egregious insult to our democracy and to their elected representatives if they go ahead with their stand.”
Also read: Rahul Gandhi's ‘bricks of ego’ tweet as 19 parties to boycott new Parliament building event
As many as 19 opposition parties have boycotted the new Parliament building's inauguration on May 28 for “not inviting President Droupadi Murmu” to the event.
Read the full statement of the NDA here:
We, the undersigned parties of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), unequivocally condemn the contemptuous decision of 19 political parties to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building scheduled for Sunday, 28th May. This act is not merely disrespectful; it is a blatant affront to the democratic ethos and constitutional values of our great nation.
The Parliament is a hallowed institution, the beating heart of our democracy, and the epicenter of decision-making that shapes and influences the lives of our citizens. Such flagrant disrespect towards this institution betrays not only intellectual bankruptcy but a disturbing contempt for the very essence of democracy.
Regrettably, this is not the first instance of such disdain. Over the past nine years, these opposition parties have repeatedly shown scant regard for parliamentary procedures, disrupted sessions, staged walkouts during crucial legislations, and demonstrated an alarming lackadaisical attitude towards their Parliamentary duties. This recent boycott is just another feather in their cap of disregard for democratic processes.
The audacity of these opposition parties to preach about parliamentary decency and constitutional values is, in the light of their actions, nothing short of laughable: Their hypocrisy knows no bounds — they boycotted the special GST session presided over by the then President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee; skipped the ceremony when he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, and even extended a late courtesy call to Shri Ramnath Kovind Ji upon his election as President.
Further, the disrespect shown towards our current President, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, is a new low in political discourse. The staunch opposition to her candidature is not just an insult to her but a direct affront to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes of our nation.
We cannot forget that this disdain for parliamentary democracy is rooted in history. The same parties imposed the Emergency, a horrifying period in India's history, suspending civil liberties and democratic processes. Their habitual misuse of Article 356 further exposes their blatant disregard for constitutional principles.
It is painfully apparent that the Opposition shuns Parliament because it represents the will of the people - a will that has repeatedly rejected their antiquated and self-serving politics. Their preference for semi-monarchic governments and family-run parties shows an aversion to a vibrant democracy, an ideology incongruent with the ethos of our nation.
Their unity is marked not by a shared vision for national development, but by a shared practice of vote bank politics and a propensity for corruption. Such parties can never hope to fulfill the aspirations of the Indian people.
What these Opposition parties are perpetrating is a disgrace to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Sardar Patel, and the legacy of countless others who served this nation faithfully. Their actions tarnish the values these leaders upheld and worked tirelessly to instill in our democracy.
As we celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, it is not divisiveness we need, but unity and a shared commitment to the welfare of our people. We implore the Opposition parties to reconsider their decision, for if they do not, the 140 crore people of India will not forget this egregious insult to our democracy and to their elected representatives.
Their actions today will echo through the annals of history, casting a long shadow over their legacy. We urge them to think about the nation and not individual political gains.
