Following 20 Opposition parties announcing that they will boycott the May 28 inauguration of the new Parliament building, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that the remarks by the Opposition members are “unfortunate” and “weaken democracy”.
“May 28 is going to be a momentous day in the history of free India, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the new Parliament building and will be gifting it to the people of India. Instead of making this historic occasion a dignified and proud moment, the Opposition, including Congress, is making statements. This is unfortunate and irresponsible. This weakens democracy…I think the country will not accept this under any circumstance…,” he told ANI.
“The new Parliament has been built, keeping a hundred years in mind, and has been constructed with a lot of foresight…The new Parliament building will also set an example for the world. However, remarks by Opposition leaders are unfortunate,” he added.
He further said, “This is not the first time that the Prime Minister is inaugurating such a space. Earlier, the Parliament’s annexe was inaugurated by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Parliament Library’s foundation stone was laid by late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. There are many such examples. But even after this, the way the Opposition is trying to malign this historic occasion, the citizens of India will not appreciate this,” he said.
Further, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also condemned the decision of the 19 Opposition parties to boycott the event.
“The inauguration of the new Parliament by PM Modi is a proud moment for us and we condemn the decision of 19 opposition parties to boycott the inaugural event. This decision is an attack on democratic values of the country,” he said, as quoted by ANI.
As many as 19 Opposition parties, including Congress and AAP, have announced that they will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building, which is to be held on May 28. Later, Asaduddin Owaisi separately also announced that his party, the AIMIM, will also not be attending the inauguration ceremony, as PM Modi will be inaugurating the building, and not the President, who is the highest constitutional authority of India.
“When the soul of democracy has been sucked out Parliament, we find no value in a new building. We announce our collective decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building,” the joint statement read.
Referring to the Constitution’s Article 79, the opposition parties said Murmu ‘is not only the Head of State but also an integral part of the Parliament’. “She summons, prorogues, and addresses the Parliament. She must assent for an Act of Parliament to take effect. In short, the Parliament cannot function without the president. Yet, the prime minister has decided to inaugurate the new Parliament building without her,” the Opposition parties declared.