Opposition parties likely to boycott new Parliament building inauguration; TMC says ‘count us out’
2 min read . Updated: 23 May 2023, 09:39 PM IST
PremiumOpposition parties likely to boycott new Parliament building inauguration; TMC, CPI take lead
Amid the uproar from the Opposition parties over an alleged “no invitation" to the President to inaugurate the new Parliament, some parties have decided to boycott the inaugural ceremony on May 28. There have also been demands from the Opposition that the President and not the Prime Minister should inaugurate the new Parliament building.
According to the quoted sources by news agencies, a joint statement is likely to be announced soon, announcing a united boycott of the inaugural of the new Parliament building. So far, only the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) have said that they will skip the inauguration.
TMC leader Derek O'Brien has meanwhile tweeted that “count us out". He said, “Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesn’t get that. For him, Sunday’s inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out."
The final decision, according to the reports, will be taken on Wednesday once the party receives a formal invitation to attend the inaugural function of the new Parliament.
Meanwhile, CPI General Secretary D Raja also said his party will not attend the ceremony. Soon after the MPs started receiving soft copies of the invitation, they got into a huddle to discuss the issue.
The Opposition sources indicated that most of the parties are of the view that they should unitedly skip the ceremony, but a final decision on the issue will be taken on Wednesday.
They have also voiced their objections to PM Narendra Modi inaugurating the new Parliament building; they have instead proposed that President Droupadi Murmu should be entrusted with this honour.
“One question for the government -- why are you insulting the president who happens to be a woman from a humble background? Is it because she comes from a humble background? The president is the first citizen of the country and why are you not getting the new building of Parliament, which is called the pillar of democracy, inaugurated by her?"
"This is because you want your name to be etched on its stones. You want to insult a woman and a tribal because there is no election in the state she comes from," Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said.
(With agency inputs)