Parliament Inauguration Controversy: Opposition may boycott grand opening on May 28

The controversy surrounding the inauguration of the new Parliament building continues to simmer with the Opposition stepping up the offensive against Prime Minister Narendra Modi doing the honours on May 28.

Even as the Congress continued to press for President Droupadi Murmu to do the inauguration, the Trinamool Congress and the Communist Party of India have said they will skip the ceremony. 

Soon after the MPs started receiving soft copies of the invitation, they got into a huddle to discuss the issue. According to Opposition sources, most parties believe that they should skip the ceremony. However, a final decision on the issue is expected on Wednesday.

TMC's leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien took to Twitter to state, "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."

Parliament Annexe Vs New Parliament

The political slugfest over the inauguration continued on Tuesday as Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri accused the Grand Old Party of lacking "national spirit and sense of pride". Puri sought to remind the Congress that the then prime minister Indira Gandhi had inaugurated the Parliament Annexe building on October 24, 1975, and successor Rajiv Gandhi had laid the foundation of the parliament library on August 15, 1987.

"If your head of government can inaugurate Parliament annexe and library then why can't the head of the government of this time do? It's as simple as that," he said.

The Congress hit back, accusing Puri of trying to "obfuscate and dissimulate".

Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari said: "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. By the way, Chairperson of the Council of States Vice President of India is also conspicuous by his absence on the invitation card."

Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said on Twitter, "Hon'ble Minister needs to be told there's a difference between Parliament Annexe and the Parliament. I hope he has been attending sessions in the right building and not the library or the Annexe. Is this the level of intellect in Modi Ji's cabinet or this is Bhakti Ki Shakti?"

Congress claims insult to President

Congress party also accused the Modi government of insulting the President of India.

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."

PM Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building on May 28 following an invitation by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. On Monday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge raised an objection to President Murmu not being invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament Building, saying the Parliament is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India, and the President of India is its highest Constitutional authority.

"It looks like the Modi government has ensured the election of President of India from the dalit and the tribal communities only for electoral reasons," he had also charged.

On Kharge's remark, Congress leader Shahi Tharoor then tweeted, "Articles 60 and 111 of the Constitution make it clear that the President is the head of Parliament. It was bizarre enough that the PM performed the ground-breaking ceremony and puja when construction began, but totally incomprehensible and arguably unconstitutional for him and not the President to inaugurate the building."

Grand Opening on May 28

The opposition parties had boycotted the ceremony to lay the foundation stone of the building by Modi in December 2020, citing concerns about its timing amid farmer protests, the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic distress due to a lockdown.

The grand opening of the new building, it is learnt, will be marked by the chanting of hymns, a "havan" and a "puja". The rituals will start in the morning and the main programme is scheduled to be held in the afternoon.

Besides Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will be present at the opening ceremony. The invitation card for the event states the ceremony will start at noon and requests the invitees to take their seats by 11.30 am.