How valid is Congress’s protest against the inauguration of new parliament by PM Modi?

May 26, 2023
BJP Congress India Narendra Modi Politics

New Delhi: The inauguration of India’s new parliament building has sparked a heated exchange of words between the government and the opposition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the building on May 28.

In the latest development today, 19 political parties across the country have announced their decision to boycott the inauguration programme. They perceive it as a breach of constitutional norms and have criticised the government for not involving the president in the opening ceremony.

In response, Home Minister Amit Shah clarified that his ministry extended invitations to all parties, and their decision to attend or abstain is solely based on their individual perspectives and choices.

As the opposition comes to boycott the event, there are many instances in the previous central and state regimes when the president or governor was not involved in the inauguration of various buildings.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma took to Twitter to point out that “In the last 9 years – 5 non-BJP / Opposition state governments either laid foundation stones or inaugurated a new Legislative Assembly building.  All were done by either the Chief Minister or the Party President. In not a single instance was the Governor or President invited.”

In December 2011, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi inaugurated new buildings in the Manipur capital, including the new assembly complex and City Convention Centre. It is noteworthy that Sonia Gandhi did not hold any government position other than being an MP.

Again in March 2010, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared open the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly-Secretariat Complex, where Sonia Gandhi was also present in the capacity of UPA chairperson.

In another case, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was the one who inaugurated the central hall of the Bihar legislature in the annexe building of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha.

Again in April this year, it was Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao who inaugurated the new secretariat building in Hyderabad.

Later in another case in 2017, Then Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu had inaugurated the new legislative Assembly and Legislative Council building.

Furthermore, in another event in 2019, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had inaugurated the Delhi Assembly research centre at Vidhan Sabha, rather than the Lieutenant Governor. In response, AAP has decided to boycott the inauguration of the new parliament building, as Prime Minister Modi is set to inaugurate it.

The foundation stone of the current Parliament House was laid by President VV Giri in 1970, and it was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi in 1975. Similarly, former PM Rajiv Gandhi laid the foundation stone of the Parliament Library in 1987.

Attacking the Congress of Double Standers, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Amit Malviya said, “The Congress is claiming that Indira Gandhi inaugurating the Parliament Annexe on October 24, 1975, and Rajiv Gandhi laying the foundation stone for the Parliament Library in 1987 are not as significant as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the New Parliament… Well, the Congress is free to belittle their leaders’ accomplishments, but whose fault is it if Congress leaders were constrained by their vision and content to build incremental infrastructure, or worse, lend their name to even the smallest installations in the precinct of the Parliament?”

Malviya also said, “The Opposition must stop complaining because none other than Jawaharlal Nehru has unveiled even portraits in the Lok Sabha chamber and the Parliament hall, things that could have otherwise been done, either by the President or the Lok Sabha speaker.”

“However, it is Sonia Gandhi who takes the cake when it comes to inaugurating projects of national significance. She laid the foundation stone for the Atal tunnel on June 28, 2010, and inaugurated the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and the Railway Coach Factory in Rae Bareli, both in 2009, among others. All this when she held no position in the government,” Malviya added. DeshGujarat

 

In another tweet, Malviya said that in Chhattisgarh, during the foundation stone laying ceremony in August 2020, the governor at that time was Anusuiya Uike ji. She hails from Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh and belongs to the tribal community. Surprisingly, her name was not inscribed on the foundation stone, while the names of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were included. It is important to note that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are only Members of Parliament. This raises the question of the protocol under which the Bhoomi Pujan was conducted and why the governor was not invited for the ceremony.

Commentor Akhilesh Mishra has thrown further light on this topic by stating that “Pt. Motilal Nehru attended the inauguration of the existing Parliament building in 1927 along with other Congress leaders. This building was inaugurated by Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy of the British colonialists.

Congress could have made several arguments against attending this event.

They could have said that they will not attend any event which perpetuates colonial occupation.

Or Congress could have also said, going by present logic, that the British King is the real Constitutional head of the Parliamentary system and not the Viceroy. So why is Viceroy inaugurating the Parliament building? Instead, the British King should inaugurate and then only will we attend.

But the Congress made no such absurd arguments. Such absurdity is only reserved for Prime Minister Modi.

In the eyes of the Congress, a democratically elected Prime Minister is inferior to a British agent.

The real problem of Congress is not any sudden belief in non-existent virtues. It is actually two-fold.

First is an unvarnished hate for Prime Minister Modi.

Second, a sense of entitlement that India is the property of Gandhi family and how can anyone else undertake any activity of national significance.

No other logic otherwise justifies the acts which Congress has.

Why would Congress have otherwise boycotted the midnight session to bring the GST in 2017? Then both the President and Prime Minister were present. What was the logic then?

Under which conceivable logic could one justify Sonia Gandhi laying the foundation of the Chhattisgarh state assembly?

Going by Congress logic it should have been the Governor of Chhattisgarh (equivalent of President in the states). But forget the Governor, it was not even the elected Chief Minister who was allowed this act.

For in the Congress, each and every action must revolve around the Gandhi family. And hence Sonia Gandhi, without any shred of Constitutional status laid the foundation of the assembly building.

So to sum up, the issue behind the inauguration of the new Parliament is NOT whether President should do it or not. It is simply – hate for Modi and entitlement for the Gandhi family.

In a way, it is enlightening that this debate is happening at this point in time. For the Congress, on an irreversible path of decline, will soon learn that New India is determined to consign the Dynasty to its rightful in the dustbin of history.”

Another Twitter gave a timeline about how opposition haunted New Parliament Building
Mar 2020: Plea in supreme court against Central Vista for not notifying changes in Master Plan.
Jun 2020: Plea in SC against Centra Vista accusing illegal change in land use.
Jul 2020: Plea in SC seeking quashing of the approval to construct a new parliament.
Jul 2020: Plea in SC against environment clearance granted for the Central Vista project.
May 2021: Plea in SC to stop construction during the pandemic.
Oct 2021: Plea in SC to challenge the change in land use for a plot in Central Vista.
Nov 2021: Plea in SC to stop the Central Vista project saying construction work causing air pollution.
July 2022: Plea in SC against State Emblem, Ashok Stambh, installed atop Central Vista.
May 2023: Plea in SC against the inauguration of the New Parliament building by PM Modi. The opposition tried their best to stop construction but SC cleared everything.

#Parliament #Sonia Gandhi

Related Stories

Recent Stories