President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar are expected to send congratulatory greetings on the occasion of the new Parliament building’s opening on May 28, according to officials on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who will dedicate the new Parliament building to the country on May 28, are expected to give speeches following the inauguration event, as per the reports.
As reported by sources, the invitations for the event, both digital and physical, have been given out to MPs from both Houses, and the ceremony will begin at around 11.30 a.m. on Sunday and will last approximately two hours. “A congratulatory message by both President of India, as well as the Vice President of India, will be given out on the day of the inauguration,” reliable unnamed sources told.
It comes after the opposition, led by the Congress, has questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration of the new Parliament building, accusing the BJP-led government at the centre of insulting the country’s highest constitutional post by not inviting President Droupadi Murmu or Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
“During the inauguration ceremony, a speech will be delivered by the Lok Sabha Speaker who is essentially the custodian of the Parliament. PM Modi is also expected to deliver a speech on the occasion. All members of Parliament will be seated in the Lok Sabha chamber of the new Parliament building, which can house more than 800 people,” sources told. It is the same chamber that will be used for Joint Parliamentary addresses during the budget session and other occasions.
Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Urban Development (MoUD), led the charge against the Congress party in a Tweet saying, ” Congress has a habit of raking controversies where none exist. While President is the Head of State, PM is the Head of Govt and leads the Parliament on behalf of the Govt, whose Policies are effected in the form of Laws. The President is not a Member of either House, whereas PM is..”
Several Opposition Parties to boycott inauguration of New Parliament building
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and TMC’s Sukendu Sekhar Roy were among the opposition leaders who spoke in unison with the Congress party. Several opposition figures, according to reports, are considering boycotting the inauguration ceremony on Sunday, claiming that the government has disrespected the President.
The Congress party had boycotted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s groundbreaking ceremony for the new Parliament building in December 2020. As per the official party sources, the first major development of the Parliament complex took conducted around 1970. On August 3, 1970, the then-President of India, VV Giri, lay the groundwork for the Parliament Annexe Building.
“But the Sansadiya Soudha building was eventually inaugurated by then prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 24, 1975. That was exactly four months after she had imposed an Emergency, curtailing fundamental rights and ordering the detention of most opposition leaders.” the sources have said.
“That’s not all. The second big construction in the Parliament complex, too, had the prime minister of the day occupying the centre stage. On August 15, 1987, PM Rajiv Gandhi laid the foundation of the Parliament Library building. It was seven years later that Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj Patil led the groundbreaking ceremony for the building on April 17, 1994,” they told.
Sources went on to say that 20 of the portraits in the central hall were unveiled by Indian presidents, beginning with Dr Prasad and ending with Ram Nath Kovind, and two were unveiled by former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and one each by former Prime Minister V P Singh and Chandra Shekhar Singh.
“Only one portrait in the central hall of Dadabhai Naoroji was unveiled by a Speaker. Since March 13, 1953, after Mavlankar, no Speaker has unveiled a portrait in the central hall. As per the records, Jawaharlal Nehru is the only PM to have even unveiled a portrait in the Lok Sabha chamber or inner lobby of Parliament.
Dr Manmohan Singh had unveiled seven portraits in the Parliament Museum and archives during his tenure, while Atal Bihari Vajpayee unveiled two. Between P V Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh, seven busts/statues were unveiled in the waiting rooms of Parliament House,” they added.
The BJP sharpened its attack on former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, claiming that despite not holding any government positions, she lay the foundation stone for the Atal tunnel on June 28, 2010 and inaugurated the Bandra-Worli Sea connection in 2009.
Significance of the New Parliament Building
The new Parliament building represents the spirit of self-reliance in India (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) and will be dedicated to the country on May 28 by Prime Minister Modi. The current Parliament building, which will soon be nearly 100 years old, was erected in 1927.
Owing to the current requirements, there was a lack of space in this building. There was also a lack of convenient arrangements for MPs to sit in both Houses, which hampered the effectiveness of the Members’ job.
Given the foregoing, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha voted resolutions requesting the government to create a new Parliament building. As a result, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament building on December 10, 2020. The newly constructed Parliament building was erected at record speed and using high-grade materials.
The newly constructed Parliament building, which will endeavor to further strengthen India’s magnificent democratic traditions and constitutional ideals, is now equipped with state-of-the-art amenities to assist Members fulfill their jobs more effectively.
The new Parliament building will accommodate 888 Lok Sabha members.
There is space in the current Parliament building for 543 members of the Lok Sabha and 250 members of the Rajya Sabha to sit.
Bearing future needs in mind, plans have been planned for a gathering of 888 Lok Sabha members and 384 Rajya Sabha members in the newly built Parliament building. The Lok Sabha Chamber will host the combined session of both Houses.
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