NEW DELHI, May 25: A public interest litigation was filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday challenging the government’s plan to get the new Parliament building inaugurated by the prime minister Narendra Modi and not the “First Citizen of India” President Droupadi Murmu.
The petition, filed by advocate C.R. Jaya Sukin, questioned whether the President was not even invited to the inauguration ceremony. The plea in the Supreme Court has come amidst announcements made by 19 opposition parties to boycott the inauguration on May 28. They have publicly accused the government of sidelining the President, terming it as an “insult” to the country’s highest constitutional office.
“The President is the First Citizen of India and the head of the institution of Parliament. Under Article 85, the President can summon each House of Parliament to meet,” the petition said. Pointing out that the “Prime Minister is appointed by the President”, the plea mentioned the President appoints constitutional functionaries such as Governors, Judges of both Supreme Court and High Courts, Chief Election Commissioner, and so on. Sukin said an inauguration of Parliament, the supreme legislative body of the nation, without the President would not be “according to the law.”
(Manas Dasgupta)
