'Not Modiji's Grihpravesh': Oppn Goes All Guns Blazing On Parliament Opening, BJP Says 'Drama'

Nineteen opposition parties on Wednesday made a united call to boycott the new Parliament building inauguration to which BJP said that it is all a 'drama'.

Just days ahead of the opening of the new Parliament building, tensions have 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.

Here's What Happened So Far

Parties To Boycott Opening Ceremony

• Reacting to the developments, TMC MP Mahua Moitra said, "President of India is Number 1 in warrant of precedence, VP is Num 2 & Prime Minister is 3rd. Govt ignorant about constitutional niceties. This is NOT Modiji’s Grihapravesh for house that he built with his own money." She added that TMC will not attend "May 28th party".


• 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. 


• Giving the detail, 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."

 

BJP, Centre Reacts To Boycott Call

• Reacting to the opposition parties' call to boycott the ceremony, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "The boycott is obvious. They opposed the construction of Parliament House. They never thought that the construction will be completed so soon. So, everything has happened like a bouncer for the Opposition. Just to save their face, they are enacting the drama of boycott...Parliament House will open on the day associated with Veer Savarkar. That might be another reason for them to oppose or boycott the function..."


• Union Minister Hardeep Singh took a jibe at the opposition. He said, "In August 1975, then PM Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Annexe, and later in 1987 PM Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Library. If your (Congress) head of government can inaugurate them, why can't our head of government do the same?"


• After a number of opposition parties announced that they would boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi requested them to reconsider their decision. "I would like to tell them that this is a historical event. This is not the time of politics...Boycotting and making issues out of a new issue is most unfortunate. I appeal to them to reconsider their decision and join this historical function…," Pralhad Joshi said as quoted by the news agency ANI.


• Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal said, "The inauguration of the new Parliament building is a matter of pride for the country, so we have decided that the SAD party will attend the inauguration ceremony on 28th May. We do not agree with the issues raised by opposition parties."