A total of 19 Opposition parties, including the Congress, have collectively decided to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the “undignified act insults the high office of the President”.
PM Modi will be inaugurating the new Parliament building on May 28, which also coincides with the birth anniversary of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar. The invitation was sent out by Lok Sabha Speaker On Birla.
The Opposition parties have been accusing the PM Modi-led BJP government of insulting the country’s top constitutional post by not asking President Droupadi Murmu or Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar to inaugurate it.
In a joint statement, they said the inauguration of the Parliament building is a “momentous occasion”, however, “Prime Minister Modi’s decision to inaugurate the new Parliament building by himself, completely sidelining President Murmu, is not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate response.”
The signatories include: Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Janata Dal (United), AAP, CPI-M, CPI, SP, NCP, SS (UBT), RJD, IUML, JMM, NC, KC (M), RSP, VCK, MDMK and RLD.
“In short, Parliament cannot function without the president. Yet, the prime minister has decided to inaugurate the new Parliament building without her. This undignified act insults the high office of the president, and violates the letter and spirit of the Constitution. It undermines the spirit of inclusion which saw the nation celebrate its first woman Adivasi President,” the parties said.
“When the soul of democracy has been sucked out from the Parliament, we find no value in a new building. We announce our collective decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building,” the opposition parties said in their joint statement.
Earlier, the Opposition parties had boycotted the foundation stone ceremony which was laid by PM Modi in December 2020, citing concerns about its timing amid farmer protests, the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic distress due to a lockdown.
Meanwhile, reacting to the decision of the boycott, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi called it an “unfortunate decision”.
“Boycotting and making an issue out of a non-issue is most unfortunate. I appeal to them to reconsider their decision and join the function,” Joshi told reporters here on the sidelines of a national workshop on National e-Vidhan Application, reported ANI.
He also said that the Lok Sabha Speaker was the custodian of Parliament, and that the invitation was extended by him to the PM to inaugurate the new building.