Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, commenting on the matter over Twitter, said that not inviting the President of India for the opening ceremony is “an insult to the country’s highest Constitutional post.” (File)Parliament News Highlights, May 25, 2023: While 20 Opposition parties are set to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28 (Saturday), JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda has said that he will attend the event.
Meanwhile, hitting out at the Opposition parties, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the people of the country have elected Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of the country and the Congress party and its supporters have made this an excuse for political gains. “The people of the country will not forget this,” he added.
Although not attending the event, BSP supremo Mayawati said that it was unfair to boycott the inauguration and that the government has the right to unveil it as they are the ones who have made it. She, however, said that she won’t be able to attend the ceremony owing to pre-scheduled engagements. Among the non-BJP parties that are attending the ceremony include YSRCP and the BJD, the ruling parties in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, the Akali Dal, and the TDP.
Here's a blueprint of the new Parliament building. (Photo credit: centralvista.gov.in)
The Rajya Sabha, based on the theme of a lotus, will have 384 seats. (Source: centralvista.gov.in)
The All India Adivasi Congress on Thursday accused the Modi government of "insulting" tribals by not getting the country's first tribal president Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate the new Parliament building, as it announced a nationwide protest against the move on May 26.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, All India Adivasi Congress chief Shivajirao Moghe said Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the new Parliament building rather than the president is an "insult" to democracy.
Sharing Moghe's remarks on Twitter, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Then President Ramnath Kovind was not invited to the foundation laying ceremony for the new Parliament in December 2020, and now the current President Droupadi Murmu is not allowed to inaugurate the new Parliament." The Adivasi Congress underlined in its statement that under Prime Minister Modi the Constitutional rights of Adivasis and Dalits are not secure even after one of them being in the highest Constitutional position, he said. (PTI)
The Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday called the new Parliament building a "symbol of new India", and said it was a matter of pride for the state that this structure would be inaugurated on May 28, the birth anniversary of late Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar .
It also urged the opposition parties to keep the political differences aside and attend the inauguration event instead of boycotting it.
"The government of India paid rich tributes to Veer Savarkar by deciding to inaugurate the new Parliament building on his birth anniversary," the Shiv Sena, which shares power with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state said in a statement. “The Shiv Sena expresses deep disappointment over the partisan behaviour of opposition parties that are boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building in New Delhi on May 28," it said. (PTI)
While 20 Opposition parties are set to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28 (Saturday), JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda has said that he will attend the event.
Those part of NDA:
Those not part of NDA:
BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur slammed the Opposition parties over their call to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building and said: “The construction of the new Parliament House is a record in itself. PM Modi has worked with a new thought. If the President herself says that PM Modi should inaugurate, then what is wrong with it? The Prime Minister and President of the country are all together in this, so it is a matter of pride for the country.”
She added: “Opposition parties are against development. The Opposition feels that if they do not protest, their roots will be shaken. They do not understand good or bad.”
A key aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday alleged that the proposed inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be a breach of protocol “to show one individual as above the country, the Constitution and the legislature”.
In a statement issued here, senior JD(U) leader and state minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary asserted that the inauguration of the new building “should be by none other than President Droupadi Murmu”. Asserting that “as per the Constitution, it is the President who heads the country's legislature” the JD(U) leader dubbed the boycott of the function announced by opposition parties as “justified and inevitable”.
“It is strange that though the Lok Sabha Speaker's name is there among the attendees of the function, the Vice President, who also happens to be chairman of the Rajya Sabha, has been kept out,” the JD(U) leader said. “It appears that all protocols have been done away with to show one individual as above the country, the Constitution and the legislature. Clearly, this sad chapter is being added to the post-Independence journey of parliamentary system merely for the lionisation of one individual,” Chaudhary said without taking any name. (PTI)
The BJP on Thursday alleged that the opposition parties have decided to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi just because it has been built at his initiative.
Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the new building is a symbol of India's pride and appealed to the opposition parties to attend the "historic day" of its inauguration on May 28 by showing a "big heart".
“We all respect the President, I don't want to drag the post of the President into any controversy today by recalling what Congress said about her. But India's prime minister is also an important part of Parliament. The prime minister also holds constitutional responsibility,” he told reporters.
Prasad urged the opposition leaders not to use the boycott of the event as a platform to forge opposition unity, saying they will have more opportunities to do so.
“Mughals built Lal Quila, Jama Masjid and Humayun's Tomb. Qutab-ud-din Aibak built Qutab Minar, they claim. The British built North Block, South Block, President House which was called Viceroy House, and a Sansad Bhavan," Prasad said, and asked "What did we built in 75 years of Independence?" "After 75 five years of independence, why India should not get a Parliament built by Indians,” he added. (PTI)
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, while hitting out at the Opposition parties over their decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building, said: “They have a single-point agenda. They don't want any celebration or spotlight on any achievement that this government and this country is making.”
Amidst the row over the inauguration of the new Parliament building, an advocate has approached the Supreme Court with a PIL seeking direction that it be inaugurated by President Draupadi Murmu and not Prime Minister Narendra Modi as is scheduled.
The Public Interest Litigation by C R Jaya Sukin said the May 19 statement by the Lok Sabha Secretariat regarding the inauguration of the new building by PM Modi on May 28 and the invites sent out by the Lok Sabha Secretary General for this were without due application of mind. Read More
Gujarat Chief Minister condemned the decision of 20 Opposition parties to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building, saying it was an insult to the great nation and an attack on the country's democratic values.
The Opposition parties have claimed the prime minister's decision to inaugurate it by himself, “completely sidelining President Droupadi Murmu, is not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate response”.
Commenting on the issue, Gujarat CM Patel said the decision to boycott the inauguration ceremony is "highly condemnable". “This decision is not only an insult to our great nation, it is also an attack on our country's democratic values as well as constitutional beliefs,” he told reporters in Nadiad town of Kheda district on the sidelines of an event. (PTI)
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Thursday said it will take part in the inauguration of the new Parliament building scheduled on May 28 in New Delhi.
TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu has instructed Rajya Sabha MP Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar to represent the party during the inauguration of the new Parliament building, a party statement said. On receiving an invitation from the Lok Sabha Secretary General, TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu asked Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar to represent the party at the grand inauguration of the Parliament building by the Prime Minister Narendar Modi, on May 28, it said. (PTI)
Although not attending the event, BSP supremo Mayawati said that it was unfair to boycott the inauguration and that the government has the right to unveil it as they are the ones who have made it. She, however, said that she won’t be able to attend the ceremony owing to pre-scheduled engagements.
National Conference MP Hasnain Masoodi, while speaking about the row surrounding the inauguration of the new Parliament building, said: “We will not be attending this event. This is really unfair that the President is not being called for the inauguration of the new building of the Parliament House. Many are saying that earlier also, such incidents happened but I would say in the past, only a part of a Parliament was inaugurated by them. But now, the whole new building is to be inaugurated. The President has the right to attend this event.”
Amid the raging row over the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday said the absence of the president in the ceremonial event would amount to 'devaluing the ethos of our Republic'.
Sibal's attack on the government comes a day after as many as 20 opposition parties announced their decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In a tweet, Sibal said, 'Inauguration of the new Parliament building. Parliament symbolises our Republic. The President is the head of the Republic. The absence of the President in this ceremonial event amounts to devaluing the ethos of our Republic. Does the government care!' (PTI)
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said 20 "aadeenams" from Tamil Nadu have been invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28, where the 'Sengol' will be installed, as did in 1947 to symbolise the power transformation from the British.
Addressing reporters here along with the Governors of Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Nagaland, she said TN has a "big proud part" to the episode of handing over of the Sengol (sceptre) to the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, symbolising the power transfer from the British to the people of India in 1947.
This was done on the advice of the Tiruvavduthurai adheenam after the late CR Rajagopalachary discussed it with the Shaivite pontiff following Nehru's consultations with him.
With the Sengol to be installed in the new Parliament building on May 28 during its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 20 'aadeenams' from Tamil Nadu, including Tiruvavaduthurai, Perur and Madurai have been invited for the event, she said.
In Tamil, the word 'Aadeenam' refers to both a Shaivite monastery and the head of such a math.
"The pontiffs will attend the event, there will be Oduvars (scholars in Shaivite scriptures and hymns) who will recite the Thevaram. In 1947 also the Sengol was handed over to Nehru when othuvargal recited Kolaru Pathigam," she said. (PTI)
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Thursday said it will take part in the inauguration of the new Parliament building scheduled on May 28 in New Delhi.
The opposition party will be represented by its Members of Parliament (MPs) on Sunday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the ceremony by inaugurating it.
“TDP will attend the new Parliament building inauguration. MPs from the TDP will attend the event,” said a party statement shared with PTI.
"...It is necessary in this special moment when a nation gets a more modern and more capacious Parliament, that all parties stand on tiptoe and look to the future that will occupy the new House and that it will belong to. It cannot be — it should not be — that when coming generations look at this diverse nation’s photo album, they see a Parliament that is bare and monochromatic because 19 parties could not rise above their grievance, legitimate though it may have been, to embrace the larger occasion."
Read more
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra yesterday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his decision to inaugurate the Parliament building on May 28 and to not invite President Droupadi Murmu for the event.
Stating that the government is "ignorant about the constitutional niceties" Moitra said that the TMC will not be attending the May 28 "party". (ANI)
On May 28, the country is going to get a new Parliament building. It will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, instead of the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. Equipped with modern amenities, it is a four-storey building, which cost about Rs 1,000 crore. In any democratic system, the parliament is the voice of the common man and the building that shelters it carries its own legacy and historical significance. India already has a magnificent parliament building. Why spend people’s hard-earned money and resources on the new one then?
Parliament House was constructed by the British over six years (1921-1927) to make Delhi the new administrative capital. Post Independence, this building became India’s Parliament House. It is an excellent example of architecture. It is counted amongst the best legislative buildings in the world. Even though it was designed by foreign architects, the building was constructed with Indian materials and by Indian labour. That’s why its architecture has a deep impression of Indian traditions. The dome of its central hall is believed to be one of the most spectacular in the world. (Read more)
Speaking to the media, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday (May 24) said the upcoming inauguration of the new parliament building will also see Prime Minister Narendra Modi install a historic sceptre from Tamil Nadu next to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s seat.
Known as Sengol — derived from the Tamil word “Semmai”, meaning “Righteousness”, according to an official document — the sceptre is a “significant historical” symbol of Independence as it signifies the transfer of power from the British to the Indians, Shah told the media. (Read more)
Amid a snowballing row over the new Parliament building’s inauguration, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that not inviting the President of India for the opening ceremony is “an insult to the country’s highest Constitutional post.”
“Not getting the president to inaugurate the Parliament and not inviting her for the ceremony is an insult to the country’s highest Constitutional post. The Parliament is not made of bricks of ego, but of Constitutional values,” Gandhi wrote on Twitter. (Read more)
Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), in statement released on Wednesday, urged the Opposition parties to reconsider their decision of boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28, news agency PTI reported.
Terming the “complete sidelining” of President Droupadi Murmu from the event as “a grave insult”, the Opposition parties in a joint statement had earlier said that it is a “direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate response”. The statement also noted that the honour, instead of the PM, belongs to the President.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Wednesday confirmed that YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) will attend the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28.
Reddy took to Twitter to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "dedicating the grand, majestic and spacious Parliament building to the nation." He further wrote, "Parliament, being the temple of democracy, reflects our nation's soul and belongs to the people of our country and all the political parties. Boycotting such an auspicious event is not in the true spirit of democracy."
Earlier in the day, the party had said that it won’t follow in the Opposition parties' footsteps to boycott the ceremony. The party's national general secretary V Vijay Sai Reddy had announced that the CM will make an official announcement in a day or two.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Wednesday condemned the decision of the nineteen Opposition parties led by the Congress to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28.
“This act is not merely disrespectful; it is a blatant affront to the democratic ethos and constitutional values of our great nation,” the statement released by the party said.
"Over the past nine years, these opposition parties have repeatedly shown scant regard for parliamentary procedures, disrupted sessions, staged walkouts during crucial legislations... The audacity of these opposition parties to preach about parliamentary decency and constitutional values is, in the light of their actions, nothing short of laughable." the statement mentioned.
The NDA also targeted the Opposition for the "disrespect shown towards our current President, Smt. Droupadi Murmu," calling it "a new low in political discourse."
Biju Janata Dal Wednesday released a statement confirming that its party members will attend the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28.
"The President of India is the Head of the Indian State. The Parliament represents the 1.4 billion people of India. Both the institutions are symbols of Indian democracy and draw their authority from the Constitution of India," the statement issued by the party highlighted.
"BJD believes that these Constitutional institutions should be above any issue which may affect their sanctity and honour. Such issues can always be debated later in the august house. Hence the BJD shall be a part of this momentous occasion," it stated.
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Wednesday took a swipe at Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks that the new Parliament building is an example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s far-sightedness, asking what about the PM’s long term vision on issues such as price rise, unemployment and women’s wrestlers’ woes.
In a tweet, Sibal said, “Amit Shah: ‘New Parliament shows PM Modi’s long term vision’. Congratulations. What about Modiji’s long term vision on: 1) Unemployment 2) Price rise 3) Digital divide 4) Health & education deficit 5) Women wrestlers woes. With the speed with which Parliament was built!”
Read the full story here.
In a show of Opposition unity, 19 parties Wednesday came out with a joint statement announcing their decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.
Among the non-BJP parties missing from this statement is K Chandrasekhar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which had been coordinating its moves with the Opposition parties of late.
Opposition sources said the BRS will issue a separate statement announcing its decision to stay away from the new Parliament building event. Despite having taken a strident position against the Modi-led BJP government over various issues in the past few months, the BRS’s decision not to be part of the joint statement reflects the faultlines in the Opposition camp.
Read the Political Pulse here.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Wednesday, commenting on the decision of nineteen Opposition parties to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28, said that it shows that "they do not have faith in democracy," news agency ANI reported.
It is not just the building of India's Lok Sabha, it is the building of strength of New India. Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Annexe building in 1975, Rajiv Gandhi did the Bhoomi Pujan of the Parliament Library. Was it anti-democratic?" Fadnavis questioned while speaking to the reporters. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president J P Nadda Wednesday took to Twitter to call Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to place the Sengol in the new Parliament building “a historic moment.”
“The sacred Sengol is of national significance and holds historical importance… There is no more appropriate occasion than Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to recall the event on the eve of India’s independence and no better place for the sacred Sengol, than the hallowed portals of the New Parliament,” he tweeted.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia Wednesday called out the Opposition parties who have decided to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building, and said, "They should [maybe] try to introspect."
"At this point of time, if this is the pettiness with which parties will be thinking, I don't think that is the right way to go and they must reflect on that," the BJP leader added.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Wednesday referred to the Opposition parties' decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building as mere "drama," news agency PTI reported.
Sarma also said that another reason for the boycott might be that the inauguration will be held on a day “associated with Veer Savarkar”. (PTI)
In a symbolic move, a sacred sceptre that was handed to Jawaharlal Nehru on the eve of Independence to mark the transfer of power from the British will be given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration of the new Parliament building on Sunday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing a press conference, said, “The most important thing is that there is an expectation of just and fair rule by the one who receives the sengol."
Made of silver and plated in gold, the sceptre had been preserved at Allahabad Museum till now, Shah said. Read more here.
Amid the row over new Parliament building's inauguration, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) said it won’t follow the footsteps of the nineteen Opposition parties who have decided to boycott the ceremony on May 28.
On the other hand, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which is engaged in an acrimonious fight against the BJP in Telangana, is holding its cards close to its chest. Both parties were not among the statement’s signatories.
YSRCP national general secretary V Vijay Sai Reddy said Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy would make an official announcement in a day or two.
Read the Political Pulse here.
Amid the ongoing tussle over the inauguration of the new Parliament building, we bring you a list of political parties who will be attending the inauguration and those who will be skipping it:
Who’s NOT attending?
Find out which political parties will be attending the event here.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah Wednesday said the upcoming inauguration of the new parliament building will also see Prime Minister Narendra Modi install a historic sceptre from Tamil Nadu next to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s seat.
Known as Sengol — derived from the Tamil word “Semmai”, meaning “Righteousness”, according to an official document — the sceptre is a “significant historical” symbol of Independence as it signifies the transfer of power from the British to the Indians, Shah told the reporters.
“Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru accepted Sengol at around 10:45 pm of August 14, 1947, through the Adhinam of Tamil Nadu, it was a sign of shift of power from Britishers to the people of our country,” he said.
What is the Sengol? Why was the Sengol given to Nehru? How was the Sengol made? We explain.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah Wednesday said the inauguration of the new Parliament on Sunday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not be linked with politics, reacting to Opposition parties announcing a boycott of the event.
Shah made the statement while addressing a press conference to announce the government’s plan to hand over a sacred sceptre to Modi during the new Parliament’s inauguration.
With several Opposition parties saying they would boycott the inauguration as the President had been left out of the proceedings, the home minister was asked how the Opposition would view the sceptre ceremony.
Read the full story here.
Amid a snowballing row over the new Parliament building’s inauguration, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Wednesday said that not inviting the President of India for the opening ceremony is “an insult to the country’s highest Constitutional post.”
This comes after nineteen Opposition parties, including the Congress, the TMC, the AAP, and others, said earlier on Wednesday that they will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A total of 19 Opposition parties led by the Congress on Wednesday announced their decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28. Terming the “complete sidelining” of President Droupadi Murmu from the event as “a grave insult”, the Opposition parties in a joint statement also said it is a “direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate response”.
The statement also noted that the honour, instead of the PM, belongs to the President.
Among the signatories of the statement are the Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the DMK, the Janata Dal (United, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Muslim League, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the National Conference, the Kerala Congress (M), the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).
Read the full story by Manoj C G here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the New Parliament building on May 28, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said in a statement last week.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Modi and invited him to inaugurate the New Parliament Building, according to the statement.
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, the statement said.
Read more here.
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