Modi Inaugurates New Parliament Building, Some Opposition Parties Boycott the Event

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, May 28: Linking the new Parliament building with the destiny of 140 crore Indians, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the new structure was a reflection of the aspirations and dreams of 140 crore Indians and a message to the world about India’s determination to become a fully developed country.

Pointing out that every Indian was full of pride seeing the new Parliament House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said new building would see the dawn of a self-reliant India and witness its journey towards a developed nation. “This new Bhawan would see the attainment of the resolve of a developed India,” Modi said in his first address from the new Parliament building which he had inaugurated earlier in the day.

The new building, he said, will give fresh energy and strength to the world’s largest democracy. “This is a message to the world about India’s determination. This new Bhawan will witness the dawn of a self-reliant India… It will be a witness to our journey towards a developed India…This new Bhawan would see the attainment of the resolve of a developed India… This new Parliament building connects planning to reality, policy to realisation, will power to execution, and sankalp to siddhi,” he said.

Modi inaugurated on Sunday morning the new Parliament building in a grand ceremony that saw attendance from 25 parties while 20 opposition parties boycotted the event accusing the PM of completely sidelining President Droupadi Murmu.

“Some moments in the developmental journey of a nation get immortalised, today is one such day…The new Parliament complex will witness the realisation of our ‘developed India’ resolution,” the PM said.

The Prime Minister also installed the sacred “Sengol” in the Lok Sabha chamber right next to the Speaker’s chair, after performing puja. Modi was handed over the historic “Sengol” by Adheenams before it was installed in the new Parliament building. Modi also released a special commemorative postage stamp and a ₹75 coin to mark the inauguration of the new Parliament building. He released the coin and the stamp at the inauguration event held at the Lok Sabha chamber of the new Parliament building.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh read out messages from President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. The ceremony began with a traditional ‘puja’ with Vedic rituals which continued for an hour. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was also present along with Modi during the puja.

Earlier 19 Opposition parties including the Congress who boycotted the inauguration had issued a joint statement saying that there was no value in a new building when the “soul of democracy has been sucked out from the Parliament.” The four-storey building has been constructed at an estimated cost of ₹970 crore. The building has been designed by Ahmedabad-based HCP Design, Planning and Management, and constructed by Tata Projects Limited.

After his party boycotted the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said democracy was not just about buildings but functions with the voice of people. He also attacked the government over the “forcible” removal and “manhandling” of the wrestlers protesting at the Jantar Mantar when they were trying to march towards Parliament.

“The right to inaugurate the new Parliament was snatched from the President. Women players were beaten up on the streets with dictatorial force,” he alleged in a tweet in Hindi.

“The three lies of BJP-RSS rulers now stand exposed before the country – Democracy, Nationalism and Save Daughter.”

“Remember Modi ji, democracy is not just about buildings but functions with the voice of the public,” Kharge said.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, however, congratulated the Centre for the inauguration of the new Parliament building and said it should be used in the interest of the country. “Congratulations to the Centre on the inauguration of the new Parliament House today. It would be appropriate that this new building should be used in the interest of the country and its people as per the humanitarian thoughts of Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and the noble intention of the holy Constitution made by him,” she said in a Tweet in Hindi.

The former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, who had received an invitation for the inauguration ceremony, could not make it to the occasion, citing other commitments. Earlier on May 25, Ms. Mayawati had called the opposition parties’ boycott of the inauguration of the new Parliament building “unfair” and had welcomed the opening.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said he was not happy to see the inauguration of the new Parliament building. The statement came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building. “I saw the event in the morning. I am happy I didn’t go there. I am worried after seeing whatever happened there. Are we taking the country backwards? Was this event for limited people only?,” Pawar asked. He said whatever happened was the exact reverse of Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s concept of society.

“What is happening there is exactly the reverse of what Pt Nehru who had a concept to make a society based on modern science. It’s the government’s responsibility to invite President and Vice president. Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla was present, but Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, the head of Rajya Sabha, wasn’t there. Therefore the whole event looks like it was for a limited people …,” he said.

Reflecting the cultural diversity of India, Tripura’s epitome bamboo wood flooring embellished the new Parliament building. Apart from that, carpets from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh and stone carvings from Rajasthan have also been used. Further, red granite from Lakha near Ajmer and white marble from Ambaji in Gujarat have also been used in the flooring. Epitome bamboo wood flooring was supplied by Mutha Industries of Bodhjungnagar, Tripura.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Parliament was the voice of the people but the Prime Minister is treating the event as his “coronation.” “Parliament is the voice of the people! The Prime Minister is treating the inauguration of the Parliament House as coronation,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal took a dig at the BJP over the party describing the Sengol as a symbol of transfer of power from the British, saying that in India the transfer of power is through the will of the people who gave themselves this Constitution.

“Today every Indian is full of pride seeing the new Parliament House, Modi said. “This building has heritage as well as architecture. There is art as well as skill in this. There is culture in it as well as the voice of the constitution,” he adds. The new India of the 21st century, India full of high spirit, is now leaving behind the mentality of slavery. And this new Parliament building has become a living symbol of this effort, Modi added.

He said the “our democracy is our inspiration, our constitution is our resolve. The best representative of this inspiration, this resolution, is our Parliament,” he said.

“Every decision taken here will adorn and enrich our future generations, empower the coming generations… Every decision which will be taken here will become the basis for India’s bright future…the path of empowerment of poor, Dalit, backwards, tribals, differently abled, and every deprived family of our society passes through here… Every brick, every wall… Iska har kan (each particle) is dedicated to the welfare of the poor,” Modi said.

“Every law which will be made in this new Parliament building in the next 25 years will transform India into a developed nation…every law will help India come out of poverty, create new opportunities for the youth and the women…I am confident that the new Parliament building will become the basis for the creation of a new India…a prosperous, strong and developed India,” he said. “This is an India that walks the path of policy, justice, truth, dignity and duty and becomes stronger,” Modi added.

Explaining that “new models can be established only by treading new paths”, he said new India was realising new goals and charting out new paths. “There is a new energy, new zeal, new enthusiasm, new thinking and a new journey. There are new visions, new directions, new resolutions and a new trust,” he said.

“When a country like India, full of diversity, with a huge population that tackles various challenges, moves forward with a belief, it inspires many countries of the world. Every achievement of India is going to become an achievement for different countries in different parts of the world in the coming days,” he said.

Twenty Opposition parties, including the Congress, TMC, AAP, DMK and Left parties, boycotted Sunday’s event, saying that PM Modi’s decision to inaugurate the new Parliament building by himself, completely sidelining the President, is a “grave insult” and “direct assault on our democracy”.

On the historic sceptre ‘Sengol’ that he installed in the new Lok Sabha chamber today, the PM said it was seen as a symbol of service and nationalism in the Chola empire. “This Sengol is a symbol of the transfer of power. Adeenam saints blessed us in Parliament. I thank them. It’s our good fortune that we could restore the glory of this holy ‘Sengol’. This ‘Sengol’ will keep inspiring us,” he said.

The PM said the construction of the new Parliament building gave employment to 60,000 workers, and a digital gallery dedicated to them has also been built. He said the new parliament building is a perfect example of the co-existence of the old and new. “In future, when the number of MPs increases, where would they sit? Therefore, the new Parliament building was the need of the hour,” Modi said.

Keeping in view the future requirements, arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 384 members in the Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building of the Parliament. The joint session of both Houses will be held in the Lok Sabha Chamber.