Opposition parties on Sunday criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inaugurating the new Parliament building, accusing him of “wresting away the right hand” from the President.
The Congress was among 22 parties that boycotted the inauguration of the new Parliament, saying that President Droupadi Murmu, not Prime Minister Modi, should have presided over the inauguration. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called the boycott “a blatant affront to the democratic ethos and constitutional values of our great nation”.
A total of 25 parties including the ruling BJP, Biju Janata Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Janata Dal (Secular) and YSR Congress Party participated in the launch event, while 22 parties including Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Aam Aadmi Party, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Samajwadi Party stayed away.
Hours after the inauguration, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted in Hindi: “The right to inaugurate the new Parliament has been taken away from the President. Sportswomen were beaten on the streets by a dictatorial force… The three lies of the BJP-RSS rulers are now exposed before the country – Democracy, Nationalism and Save the daughter.”
“Remember Modi ji, democracy is not just about buildings, it works with the voice of the public,” he added, referring to the police action against wrestlers protesting outside the Jantar Mantar.
The BJP, however, said the event would be scripted in “golden words” and asked the opposition not to do politics over it.
“The inauguration of the new parliament will go down in history with golden words. This will forever represent the constitutional principles of the country,” said Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda.
“The opposition should ask themselves what they have done for the tribals in 75 years. When the BJP made Droupadi Murma the president, they came together to defeat her. Are they talking about the president now? The opposition should not do politics during the inauguration,” he added.
Speaking to reporters in Pune, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said he was “happy” that he was not part of the inauguration. “I saw the incident in the morning. I’m glad I didn’t go there. After seeing what happened there, I am concerned. Are we taking the country back? Was this event only for limited people?” he asked, referring to the various rituals performed at the inauguration ceremony.
He added that whatever happened at the ceremony was the exact opposite of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s concept of society. “What is happening there is the exact opposite of Pandit Nehru’s concept of creating a society based on modern science. It is the government’s duty to invite the president and vice president. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was present, but Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, the head of the Rajya Sabha, was not there. Therefore, the whole event looks like it is for limited people…,” he said.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter that the event was presented as a “coronation” ceremony. “Parliament is the voice of the people! The Prime Minister considers the inauguration of the House as a coronation,” he said.
Party General Secretary Jairam Ramesh also tweeted: “Self-glorifying authoritarian Prime Minister with utter contempt for parliamentary procedures who rarely visits or engages with Parliament will inaugurate the New Parliament building in 2023. Distorians’ fabrication of facts and media drumming will reach new lows in 2023.”
TMC president Derek O’Brien also took aim at Modi, saying, “Now that PM Modi is done with his ‘I Love Only Myself Day’, let’s remind him how he and his government have mocked and insulted Parliament for the past nine years.”
He added, “The number of ordinances issued by the Modi government has more than doubled compared to earlier. Eight sessions of parliament were suspended ahead of schedule. It has been four years now but there is still no Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha.
In a series of tweets, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the inauguration ceremony was held amid “loud propaganda” declaring a “new India”.
