Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the new Parliament building on May 28, which has sparked a major row with Opposition parties stating that it is the President of India, who should be inaugurating it. The date of inauguration is also a point of contention as it coincides with the birth anniversary of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar.
Here are the top developments from the controversy:
-The Congress accused the government of disrespecting Constitutional propriety and demanded that President Droupadi Murmu should be the one who must inaugurate it and not Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
-In a series of tweets, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “The Modi Government has repeatedly disrespected propriety. The Office of the President of India is reduced to tokenism under the BJP-RSS Government.”
“She is the First Citizen of India. Inauguration of the new Parliament building by her will symbolise the government’s commitment to democratic values and Constitutional propriety,” Kharge tweeted.
-Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “Articles 60 and 111 of the Constitution of India make it clear that the President is the head of parliament. It was bizarre enough that the PM performed the ground-breaking ceremony and puja when construction began, but totally incomprehensible (and arguably unconstitutional) for him and not the President to inaugurate the building.”
-BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni, hitting out at the Congress said, “Whenever a good thing happens, Congress leaders resort to cheap politics which has become its hallmark under Rahul Gandhi. When the nation is feeling proud on the construction of new Parliament building, its leaders have again stooped to a new low.”
-Baluni also said, “Its perverse mindset has become more entrenched because of Rahul Gandhi’s anarchist politics and is on full display as the country excitedly awaits the inauguration of the new building of Parliament, which will stand as a symbol of the Indian democracy.”
-Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, also slammed the Congress, and said, “Congress has a habit of raking controversies where none exist. While President is the Head of State, PM is the Head of Govt & leads the Parliament on behalf of the Govt, whose Policies are effected in form of Laws. The President is not a Member of either House, whereas PM is.”
-CPI leader D Raja also criticised the Centre and said, “Obsession with self-image and cameras trumps decency and norms when it comes to Modi-ji.”
-AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said, “He (PM Modi) is head of the executive, not legislature. We have separation of powers and Hon’ble Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chair could have inaugurated (it). It’s made with public money, why is PM behaving like his ‘friends’ have sponsored it from their private funds.”
-According to a statement issued by the Lok Sabha, the new building, which sits next to the existing Parliament House, will be able to accommodate 888 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 300 in the Rajya Sabha, up from the existing capacities of 543 and 250.
-Prime Minister Narendra had laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building on December 10, 2020.
-The date of the inauguration on May 28 has also been criticised, with Congress leader Jairam Ramesh saying, “A complete insult to all our Founding Fathers and Mothers. A total rejection of Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Bose, et al. A blatant repudiation of Dr. Ambedkar.”
-Further, Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray wrote on Twitter, “26 November 2023- Indian Constitution which gifted parliamentary democracy to the nation shall step into 75th year which would’ve been befitting for inauguration of new Sansad Bhawan. But it shall be done on 28 May, birthday of Savarkar- How much relevant?”