Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday accused the Opposition parties of making unnecessary noise over the issue of not inviting the President for the inauguration of the new Parliament building and said that people are more concerned about problems like inflation and unemployment rather than who inaugurates the new Parliament building. "I am surprised (over the decision of the opposition) as there are hundreds of issues which are linked to the public. But they do not raise such issues and what they are raising is not connected with people," Azad told reporters, reported PTI. 


As many as 19 opposition parties including the Congress, Left, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and Samajwadi Party among others have decided to boycott the inaugural event of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying sidelining President Droupadi Murmu is not only a "grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy, which demands a commensurate response".


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Azad, who formed his own party after leaving Congress last year, said that people were least concerned about who was going to inaugurate the new building. "What impact it will have on the health of the people whether the new building is inaugurated by the President or the prime minister,” he said, adding that he suggests opposition leaders not to raise the issues that impact their personality. 


The prime minister laid the foundation of the new parliament building and if he inaugurated it, "what we have to do with it".


"Rashtrapati or the prime minister have to decide on this, rather than the opposition," he added.


The former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister took a dig at the opposition parties for making it an issue and said chief ministers are doing inauguration in states instead of governors.


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Siding with Modi, Azad said that the new Parliament building was the need of the hour and he fails to understand why the opposition is making so much noise over it.


"They should have been happy as they themselves have failed to do so over the years and if someone else has done it he should be welcomed," he said


"Our ideology did not match with Modi and BJP but if someone is doing good work we should acknowledge it. They have also done bad things like what they did to our state (Jammu and Kashmir). They abrogated Article 370, bifurcated the erstwhile state and are now taking away land from people," Azad said.