Politics continues on the inauguration of the new building of Parliament, so far 9 parties have announced boycott, read, why is the opposition furious at the ceremony?
The country’s new parliament building will be inaugurated on May 28. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate this building, but now politics has started in the country regarding this beautiful building. They are criticizing PM Modi. Opposition parties have announced boycott of the inauguration ceremony. Let us understand in a systematic way how this ceremony became a political issue.
The recent controversy related to the new Parliament building started after the tweet, which said that the building should be inaugurated by President Draupadi Murmu, not the PM. This tweet was done by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on 21 May.
This is how the opposition surrounded the President for not calling
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi wrote in his tweet – President should inaugurate the new Parliament House, not the Prime Minister!
नए संसद भवन का उद्घाटन राष्ट्रपति जी को ही करना चाहिए, प्रधानमंत्री को नहीं!
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 21, 2023
Senior MP and former deputy leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma said –
That it would not be constitutionally correct for Prime Minister Modi to inaugurate the new building of Parliament. The question arises whether it is needed. No major democracy has done this. In fact, on May 18, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had invited the PM to inaugurate the new building. He said, “The President was kept away even when the foundation stone of the new Parliament was laid and now the President is being kept away even from the inauguration of the new Parliament building. This is not fair. The Prime Minister should request the President to invite him for the inauguration.
It looks like the Modi Govt has ensured election of President of India from the Dalit and the Tribal communities only for electoral reasons.
While Former President, Shri Kovind was not invited for the New Parliament foundation laying ceremony…
1/4
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) May 22, 2023
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted-
Former President Ram Nath Kovind was not invited for the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new Parliament building, nor has President Murmu been invited for the inauguration. Only the President represents the government, the opposition and the citizens. She is the first citizen of India. The inauguration of the new Parliament House by him (the President) will reflect the democratic value and constitutional dignity of the government.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had tweeted-
Articles 60 and 111 of the Constitution make it clear that the President is the head of the Parliament and therefore he should inaugurate the new Parliament House.
The AAP alleged that by not inviting the President to the inauguration ceremony of the Parliament House, the BJP has insulted tribals and backward communities. AAP MP Sanjay Singh said that BJP is a born opponent of Dalits, Backwards and Tribals. He tweeted- BJP is a born opponent of Dalits, backward tribals. Another incident of insult to His Majesty. The first insult was that Shri Ram Nath Kovind was not invited for the foundation stone laying ceremony of Lord Shri Ram’s temple. The second insult was not inviting Her Excellency the President Mrs. Draupadi Murmu to the inauguration ceremony of the Parliament House.
BJP दलितों पिछड़ों आदिवासियो की जन्मजात विरोधी है।
महामहिम के अपमान की दूसरी घटना।
पहला अपमान प्रभु श्री राम के मंदिर शिलान्यास में श्री रामनाथ कोविंद जी को नहीं बुलाया।
दूसरा अपमान संसद भवन के उदघाटन समारोह में महामहिम राष्ट्रपति श्रीमती द्रौपदी मूर्मू जी को न बुलाना।— Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) May 22, 2023
AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi says why Prime Minister Narendra Modi should inaugurate the Parliament? He is the head of the executive, not the legislature. We have separation of powers. Honorable Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairman of Rajya Sabha can inaugurate. It is made with public money, why is the PM behaving as if his ‘friends’ have sponsored it with their personal funds?
TMC MP Saugata Roy said, we are against the PM inaugurating the new parliament building. The President should inaugurate it.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha said, “Shouldn’t it have happened that the President should have inaugurated the new building of Parliament… Jai Hind.”
CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted – When the foundation stone of the new Parliament building was being laid, PM Modi sidelined the President. But it is unacceptable to ignore His Excellency the President even at the inauguration ceremony.
Only when the President of India summons the Parliament can it meet.
The President begins, annually, Parliamentary functioning by addressing the joint session.
The first business Parliament transacts each year is the “Motion of Thanks” to President’s Address. pic.twitter.com/LFI6pEzRQe— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 23, 2023
Questions raised on the date of May 28
Many opposition parties, including the Congress, have also raised questions on the date of inauguration. Actually, May 28 is the birth anniversary of Veer Savarkar. He was born on 28 May 1883. This year his 140th birth anniversary will be celebrated on 28th May. Now it will be a matter to be seen whether it is a mere coincidence that the new Parliament House is being inaugurated on the birth anniversary of Veer Savarkar or it is well planned.
The Congress says that May 28 is the birth anniversary of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, inaugurating the new Parliament House on this day is an insult to the nation builders. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted, ‘An insult to all our nation builders. Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Bose etc. have been completely rejected. Dr. Ambedkar is also despised.
Re-tweeting a tweet by Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Shekhar Roy, said- ‘On November 26 this year, it will be 74 years since the Indian Constitution was presented to parliamentary democracy. It would have been appropriate to inaugurate the Parliament House on this day, but May 28 is Savarkar’s birth anniversary – how relevant is it?
TMC MP Sudip Bandopadhyay said that the inaugural event should have been held either on Independence Day, or Republic Day, or Gandhi Jayanti and not VD Savarkar’s birth anniversary.
BJP hit back
Attacking the Congress, Union Minister Hardeep Puri said – It is the habit of the Congress to create controversy where it does not exist. While the President is the head of the country, the Prime Minister is the head of the government, he leads the Parliament on behalf of the government, whose policies are implemented in the form of law. The President is not a member of either House while the PM is. Some people have got into the habit of baking political breads.
In August 1975, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Annexe and in 1987, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Library. If the head of the Congress government can inaugurate the Parliament then why can’t the head of our government (PM Modi) do the same?
Describing the Congress as ‘useless’, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, ‘Veer Savarkar is the pride of every Indian. Those who are questioning the date, tell them that they are insignificant, not even worth the dust at the feet of Veer Savarkar.
Suspense on Congress regarding Boycott
Opposition parties have announced to boycott the opening ceremony of the Parliament. According to the information, RJD and JDU will boycott the inauguration ceremony. At the same time, TMC, AAP, Uddhav faction’s Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, CPI and CPI (M) have officially announced that they will boycott. Although no stand of this Congress has been clarified yet, but sources are quoting that Congress may also boycott later.
TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay says opposition parties have been kept in the dark about what will happen to the old Parliament building. The government is keeping silence on this. His party will boycott the inauguration of the new parliament building.
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
— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) May 23, 2023
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien tweeted – Parliament is not just a new building. It is an establishment with age old traditions, values, precedents and rules. This is the foundation of Indian democracy. Prime Minister Modi probably does not understand this. For them, the inauguration of the new building on Sunday is nothing more than ‘me, mine and for me’, so consider us out of it.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will not attend the inauguration of Parliament House by PM Modi. Samajwadi Party leaders will not participate in this program.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh tweeted – Aam Aadmi Party will boycott the inauguration program in protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi not inviting His Excellency the President.
CPI General Secretary D Raja said that his party would not attend the inauguration ceremony.
Uddhav Thackeray’s leader Sanjay Raut said that Central Vista was not necessary. He said that his leaders would boycott the opening ceremony.
Building completed in 28 months
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the construction of the new Parliament House on 10 December 2020. For this work, both the Houses of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha had requested on 5 August 2019. The tender to build the new Parliament was given to the Tata Project in September 2020. Its cost was considered to be Rs 861 crore. Then later, due to some additional works, this price had reached Rs 1,200 crore.
The four-storey Parliament House will have lounge, library, committee room for members as well as enough space for parking. In the present building of the Parliament, there is a provision for a meeting of 550 honorable members in the Lok Sabha while 250 in the Rajya Sabha. Keeping in view the future needs, arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 384 members in the Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building of the Parliament.
