J&K leaders, activists back PM Modi on new Parliament inauguration, slam the ‘boycott’ call

In response to the opposition parties’ call to boycott Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration of the new Parliament building, several Jammu and Kashmir leaders and activists on Friday expressed support for the inauguration while calling the opposition’s decision “childish and trivial.”

On May 28, Prime Minister Modi will dedicate the new Parliament building to the country. As many as 21 political parties have declared their intention to boycott the inauguration ceremony.

Adil Hussain, a socio-political activist, said that the new Parliament building is a temple of democracy that everyone should be proud of, including the opposition.

“The new parliament building is the temple of democracy. It is a very proud thing for all of us, for all Indians including the opposition. In the last 70 years, we did not have such leadership. If you see the ratings worldwide, Prime Minister Modi’s rating is 78 whereas US President Joe Biden’s rating is only 43. The opposition has expressed issues but we do not think that this is such a big issue. Politics should not be done on this.”

New Parliament building has vision, childish behavior by Opposition: Ghulam Nabi Azad’s DPAP

Meanwhile, Firdous, a spokesperson for Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Asad Party (DPAP), remarked, “This is not such a big issue as the opposition has been portraying. This is simply childish behavior by the opposition parties. This new Parliament building has a vision. It is a great move by PM Modi to inaugurate the Parliament building. An agenda should not be made out of this.”

He stated that the inauguration should be greeted with “open arms” and that boycotting the event would be disrespectful to the Prime Minister. “As a spokesperson of the party, I believe the inauguration should be welcomed with open arms. After all, he is our Prime Minister. Disrespecting the Prime Minister is not right. We must respect the move. Earlier Prime Ministers including Rajiv Gandhi also inaugurated the building in the Parliament. This is not new,” The DPAP representative went on to say.

Junaid Azim Mattu, Mayor of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, stated, “This is a very trivial issue. The people of the country are not interested in these trivial issues. PM Modi has the right to inaugurate the temple of democracy. He is the elected representative of the people. The project has been possible because of the dedication and passion of PM Modi.”

The Mayor stated that the politicization of the subject is regrettable and that the country’s parties and judiciary “should not waste their time on such issues”. “The Opposition might have several issues with the BJP and government but time should not be wasted on such trivial things. The courts should not be wasting their time on such issues. The fact that this thing is being politicized is very unfortunate. We all should celebrate the inauguration of the new Parliament building,” Mattu further said.

A petition requesting the Supreme Court to direct President Droupadi Murmu’s inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28 was rejected. It is worth mentioning that 21 opposition parties have collectively decided to oppose the Prime Minister’s selection as the presiding authority for the inauguration, favoring President Droupadi Murmu instead.

National Conference is one of the 21 parties that have chosen to abstain from the inauguration ceremony, citing the perceived “disrespect” towards President Droupadi Murmu by denying her the opportunity to dedicate the new building to the nation.

The Opposition has termed the New Parliament building inauguration as ‘illegal’ as it “insults the high Office of the President, and violates the letter and spirit of the Constitution”.

25 Parties to attend the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament Building

In the midst of the opposition’s boycott announcement, the government has received a definitive list of 25 political parties, some of which are not affiliated with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), that will be present at the inauguration ceremony.

Alongside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), various NDA parties such as AIADMK, Apna Dal, the Republican Party of India, the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena, NPP, and NPF have confirmed their participation in the event scheduled for Sunday. The inauguration will also witness the presence of several neutral parties, including Biju Janata Dal, TDP, and YSRCP.

Shiromani Akali Dal, Bahujan Samajwadi Party, and JDS are among the opposition groups that will attend the celebration on Sunday. According to ANI, the ceremonies preceding the inaugural ceremony would begin in the morning and will most likely take place in a pandal (canopy) near the Gandhi statue in Parliament.

PM Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Hariwansh, and some top government ministers are expected to attend the occasion.