The Delhi Police will be increasing security, especially in the New Delhi District area for the opening of the new Parliament building on May 28. Roads leading to the venue will be barricaded and the boarding districts will have multi-layer security checkpoints.
Considering a few opposition parties boycotting the inauguration of the New Parliament building and the wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar, Delhi Police senior officials will hold a high-level meeting at Delhi Police headquarters today regarding security arrangements for the 28th of May.
Just days ahead of the opening of the new Parliament building, tension has gone high between the Centre and opposition parties over the inauguration ceremony. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new complex on May 28 and contentions are already brewing in the political arena in the country. Several opposition parties on Wednesday pledged to boycott the event saying that either President Droupadi Murmu or Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla should be inaugurating the premises.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said that not getting the President to inaugurate the Parliament nor inviting her to the ceremony is an insult to the country's highest constitutional post. "Parliament is not made of bricks of ego, but of constitutional values," he tweeted. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said, "Congress party discussed with all like-minded parties to boycott the inaugural function of the new Parliament building on 28th May. We are very happy that all opposition parties are coming together to fight against this."
Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel reacted to a comment by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and said, "The Parliament was built during the British era. Rashtrapati Bhavan was also built during the British period, so how could Indira Gandhi have inaugurated it? If someone inaugurates a portion of a building, then that is a different matter. The new Parliament building should be inaugurated by the President."
A total of 19 opposition parties have come together and said that they will not attend the opening of the new Parliament building on May 28. They said that 'when the soul of democracy has been sucked out from the Parliament, we find no value in a new building'.
"The inauguration of a new Parliament building is a momentous occasion. Despite our belief that the government is threatening democracy, and our disapproval of the autocratic manner in which the new Parliament was built, we were open to sinking our differences and marking this occasion," the statement read.
The parties said, "In short, the 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."
Accusing the Centre of muting the voice of opposition leaders, the statement said, "Undemocratic acts are not new to the Prime Minister, who has relentlessly hollowed out the Parliament. Opposition Members of Parliament have been disqualified, suspended and muted when they raised the issues of the people of India. MPs from the Treasury benches have disrupted Parliament. Many controversial legislations, including the three farm laws, have been passed with almost no debate, and Parliamentary Committees have been practically made defunct."