'Why Was She Ignored': TMC Questions President Murmu's 'Absence' From New Parliament

TMC MP Derek O'Brien has questioned where President Droupadi Murmu was throughout the event that took place in the Central Hall of the old parliament building.

As India witnessed history on Tuesday with the country getting a new Parliament and MPs bidding farewell to the old complex, TMC MP Derek O'Brien asked where the President of India was during the function at Central Hall and if she was invited for the same. He also asked why President Droupadi Murmu was ignored. The function at the Central Hall was led by PM Narendra Modi and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. 

"Where was the Hon. President of India at the ‘function’ in the Central Hall of #Parliament today? Was she invited ? Why was she ignored?" he asked in a video posted by PTI. He also wrote the same on X, formerly Twitter.

PM Modi, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, Leader of opposition on Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and LoP Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge among others addressed the gathering of the MPs in the Central Hall. 

In his final address at the old building Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled the key moments including the passing of bill against triple talaq, striking down Article 370, and decriminalising Article 377. Addressing parliamentarians at the Central Hall ahead of shifting to the new building, the PM said, "Today, we are going to do 'Shree Ganesha' of new future as we move to the new Parliament building." "It was here in 1947 that the British did the transfer of power, our Central Hall is a witness of that historic moment," he said. 

"So far, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have passed over 4,000 laws. When required, joint sessions were held to chalk out strategies to pass bills. It was this Parliament that let us rectify our mistakes and we passed the law against triple talaq," he added.