Boost for Govt: BSP, TDP, JD(S) oppose boycott of Parliament building inauguration

Meanwhile, BSP chief Mayawati said the decision to boycott was “inappropriate”. In a series of tweets in Hindi, she said: “Whether it was a Congress government at the Centre in the past or the BJP at present, our party has always supported them on issues related to the country and public interest, rising above party lines. We welcome the inauguration of the new Parliament building in the same context.”

“The boycott call over not getting the new Parliament inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu is inappropriate. The government got it built and therefore it has the right to unveil it. It is also unfair to link this with tribal women’s dignity and respect. They should have thought of this while fielding a candidate against her (Murmu),” she said.

Mayawati, however, said that she would not be able to attend the ceremony due to “review meetings” of the party. Girish Chandra, BSP leader in Lok Sabha, later said: “The party president in her tweets has welcomed the inauguration… But the party MPs will attend the ceremony only after getting the go-ahead from her. I am waiting for her directive on this.”

In Bengaluru, JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda said: “I am attending the inauguration… It is the property of the country. It is not anyone’s personal matter… That magnificent building was built with the taxpayers’ money… It is not a BJP or RSS office.”

“I have worked to protect the values of the Constitution. Therefore, I cannot bring politics into the matter of the Constitution,” he said.

The TDP said party leader N Chandrababu Naidu has instructed Rajya Sabha MP Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar to represent the party during the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

Meanwhile, raising the issue during a public meeting in Assam, Shah said: “The Congress and its partners are indulging in petty politics by boycotting.”

“They are giving the excuse that the President should inaugurate… In Chhattisgarh, it was Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and the chief minister who laid the foundation stone of the new Assembly building. Where was the Governor then? She was a tribal, you didn’t invite her. The foundation stone of the Jharkhand Assembly was laid by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. He also didn’t invite the Governor. In Assam, Tarun Gogoi did it. That time too, the Governor was not invited. It was Dr Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi who inaugurated the Assembly complex in Manipur. The Governor was not there. In Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu did it. And in Tamil Nadu, Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and the Chief Minister did it,” he said.

“I want to ask my friends in the Congress… When you do it, everything is alright. When the BJP does it, when Modi does it… aapki vakra drishti (your crooked gaze)… you want to boycott… The people of the country elected Narendra Modi as the PM twice, with two-thirds majority. It is the mandate of the people… This is a democracy… The Congress and its raj parivar (royal family) are not ready to accept the PM even after nine years. The PM is not allowed to speak in Parliament. They boycott his programmes,” said Shah.

“I want to tell the Congress leadership, your boycott will not change anything… When you go to seek the people’s mandate in the next elections… you will not be able to secure even these many seats and Modi will become the PM for the third time with over 300 seats… This negative attitude… will not benefit the country,” he said.

In Chennai, Finance Minister Nirmala appealed to Opposition parties to reconsider their decision. “I am surprised by their allegation. These parties saw the President coming from a tribal background and took up a bitter campaign against her. Opposition leaders spoke ill of her and said she will be a rubber stamp,” said Sitharaman. “But the PM gave her due respect. Those who ran a bitter campaign then are now suddenly speaking for her,” she said.

Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the new building is a symbol of India’s pride and appealed to Opposition parties to show a “big heart” and attend the “historic day”.

The Opposition, meanwhile, stepped up its attack on the government. “Mr Modi, Parliament is the temple of democracy established by the people. The office of the President is the first part of Parliament. The arrogance of your government has destroyed the parliamentary system,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a Twitter post.

“Yesterday, President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the country’s largest judicial campus at the Jharkhand HC complex in Ranchi. It is one man’s ego and desire for self-promotion that has denied the first Adivasi woman President her Constitutional privilege to inaugurate the new Parliament building,” Congress communication head Jairam Ramesh tweeted.

When asked about the examples cited by Shah, the Congress declined to comment.

The party also fielded Shivajirao Moghe, the president of its tribal wing, Adivasi Congress, who accused the government of insulting the entire tribal community.

With ENS inputs, Lucknow