New Parliament Building: From AAP to TMC, these parties to boycott the inaugural function. Details here
7 min read . Updated: 24 May 2023, 11:17 AM IST
PremiumPrime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation the new Parliament building on May 28.The new Parliament building will enable 888 members to sit in the Lok Sabha.
India's new Parliament building is scheduled to be inaugurated on Sunday i.e. 28 May. Over the inauguration, the opposition parties have raised objection saying 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.
Here's the list of Opposition parties who will boycott new Parliament building inauguration
Shiv Sena UBT: Uddhav Thackeray faction leader Sanjay Raut said, “All opposition parties have decided to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on 28th May and we will also do the same."
RJD: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has confirmed ANI that the party will boycott the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building in Delhi on 28th May.
DMK: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Tiruchi Siva told ANI the party will boycott the new Parliament building inauguration.
NCP: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson said the party will not attend the inaugural function of the New parliament building, party has decided to stand with other like-minded opposition parties on this issue.
VCK: Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) will boycott the new Parliament building inauguration in Delhi.
TMC: TMC's leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien has tweeted saying “count us out." In a Twitter post, he wrote, "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. Prime Minister Modi doesn't get that. For him, Sunday's inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out." TMC MP Saugata Roy said that the President of India Droupadi Murmu should have inaugurated the Parliament and not the Prime Minister. "I got to know that our Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien has tweeted that TMC has decided to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building. The reason is that we think, the President should do the inauguration of the Parliament, and not the Prime Minister. This is against the Constitution," Roy said.
AAP: Another party to boycott the inauguration function is AAP. As per the party's statement, "Aam Aadmi Party will boycott the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building on 28th May. AAP has taken this decision in view of the questions being raised regarding the matter of not inviting the President to the inauguration ceremony."
Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M): CPI(M) has also announced a boycott of the ceremony slated to take place on May 28. CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Dr John Brittas confirmed the news to ANI. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury accused PM Modi of "bypassing" the President. "Modi bypassed the President when the foundation stone for the new Parliament building was laid. Now too at the inauguration. Unacceptable. Constitution Art 79: "There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses..." CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted. "Only when the President of India summons the Parliament can it meet. The President begins, annually, Parliamentary functioning by addressing the joint session. The first business Parliament transacts each year is the "Motion of Thanks" to the President's Address," he tweeted.
Congress: The party is likely to join other opposition parties in boycotting new Parliament building inauguration. As per the party sources, “Congress is likely to boycott the inauguration program of the new Parliament building to be held on 28th May." The party has repeatedly criticised the BJP for not inviting the President for the inaugral function. Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said, “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."
On Tuesday, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri came heavily on Congress saying that in 1975 then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had inaugurated the Parliament Annexe, and later in 1987 PM Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Library.
AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "SUV-Self-Usurped Vishwaguru-has already annexe-d the Parliament for self-aggrandisement. But surely, there is a fundamental difference between inaugurating an Annexe where officials work and a library which is hardly used on the one hand, and inaugurating not just the Temple of Democracy but its sanctum sanctorum itself."
Hitting back at Puri, senior Congress leader Manish Tewari alleged that the minister is trying to "obfuscate and dissimulate".
"Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, I am afraid, is trying to obfuscate and dissimulate. There is a difference between an annexe to the Parliament, library and a new Parliament building," he said in a tweet.
Who all are invited for the inauguration?
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will dedicate to the nation the new Parliament building on May 28. Invitations have been sent in both physical and digital forms to the MPs of both Houses.
According to sources, all Chief Ministers of all the states and Union Territories have been sent the invitation. Apart from this, invitations have also been sent to Secretaries of all ministries of the Government of India. The chief architect of the new Parliament building, Bimal Patel and reputed industrialist Ratan Tata have also been invited to the inauguration of the new building.
President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar are likely to release congratulatory messages on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28, sources told PTI. This is the same chamber which will be used for the joint Parliamentary address during the budget session and other such occasions.
All you need to know about the New Parliament Building:
On 10 December 2020, the foundation stone of the new building of Parliament was laid by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The newly constructed Parliament building has been built in record time with quality construction.
The newly constructed building of Parliament, which will work to further enrich India's glorious democratic traditions and constitutional values, is also equipped with state-of-the-art facilities which will help the Members to perform their functions in a better way.
The new Parliament building will enable 888 members to sit in the Lok Sabha.
In the present building of the Parliament, there is a provision for the sitting of 543 Members in the Lok Sabha while 250 in the Rajya Sabha.
Keeping in view the future requirements, arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha while 384 members in the Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building of the Parliament.
The joint session of both Houses will be held in the Lok Sabha Chamber.
The present building of the Parliament was completed in 1927, which is now going to be almost 100 years old. The lack of space was being experienced in this building as per the present requirements. In both Houses, there was also a lack of convenient arrangements for the sitting of the MPs which was affecting the efficiency of the work of the Members. Considering the above, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed resolutions urging the government to construct a new building for the Parliament.
(With inputs from agencies)