New Delhi: At least five opposition parties confirmed or indicated on Tuesday that they will boycott the opening of the new Parliament building on May 28, arguing that it should be President Droupadi Murmu, not Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who presides over the inauguration.
An aerial view of the New Parliament House, in New Delhi on Saturday. (ANI)
The two-hour long programme with multi-faith prayers and a guest list that includes all members of Parliament (MPs) and chief ministers is being planned for the inauguration of the new Parliament building, but some opposition parties said not having the President at the occasion was unacceptable.
“Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesn’t get that. For him, Sunday’s inauguration of the new building is all about I, me, myself. So count us out ,” tweeted Trinamool Congress’s Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien, whose party was the first major outfit to announce it was pulling out of Sunday’s event.
Hours later, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and a leader from a Left party said they too will stay away.
Bharatiya Janata Party hit back at the criticism. “In August 1975, then PM Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Annexe, and later in 1987 PM Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Library. If your (Congress) head of government can inaugurate them, why can’t our head of government do the same,” said Union minister Hardeep Puri.
According to party leaders aware of the plans, the Congress – whose leaders criticised the Modi government over the issue on the weekend -- too will boycott the event, and their ally, the DMK, is likely to take a similar decision.
The inauguration led by Modi will take place inside the new Lok Sabha chamber that can accommodate nearly 900 people. The programme will also showcase the modern facilities of the new building that is likely to start functioning from the monsoon session in July. “All MPs, chief ministers, judges of Supreme Court, former President, former vice-president and former Lok Sabha speakers have been invited for the event, which will start at 12 noon and end by 1.30pm,” a parliamentary official said, seeking anonymity.
But opposition parties said they will avoid being associated with an event that ignored the President.
“No way the Left can associate with this event that ignores the President of India and is organized on a day associated with Veer Savarkar,” said CPI MP Binoy Viswam.
“Aam Aadmi Party will boycott the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building on 28th May. AAP has taken this decision in view of the questions being raised regarding the matter of not inviting the President to the inauguration ceremony,” the party said in a statement.
Preparations for the opening have been on high gear all week. The roads inside the Parliament complex have got a fresh coat of bitumen. The existing Parliament building, which will be converted into a museum, is getting a wash and new lawns have been laid around the new building, which is getting final touches, a second official said, declining to be named.
Last week, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla met Modi and invited him to inaugurate the new building. “Construction of the new Parliament building is complete now and the new building symbolises the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self reliant India),” said an official communique.
On December 10, 2020, Modi laid the foundation stone for the new building, but the work was delayed due to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. The secretariat, however, argued that in spite of the delay, the building has been built in record time.
The current Parliament House was completed in 1927. “The lack of space was being experienced in this building as per the present requirements. In both the Houses, there were also lack of convenient arrangements for the sitting of the MPs which was affecting efficiency of work of the Members,” said the Lok Sabha secretariat communique. The old building also functioned as the Constituent Assembly that wrote India’s Constitution.
“In the present building of the Parliament, there is a provision for the sitting of 543 Members in the Lok Sabha while 250 in the Rajya Sabha. Keeping in view the future requirements, arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha while 300 members in the Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building of the Parliament,” the communique said. “The joint session of both the Houses will be held in Lok Sabha chamber only, and in that case 1,280 MPs will be able to sit there.”
E-Paper
