RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal), DMK and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) on Wednesday announced to boycott the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building in Delhi on May 28. The TMC, the CPI and the AAP had on Tuesday announced they will skip the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building on May 28 and more opposition parties including the Congress are likely to join them. A total of 19 opposition parties have announced a boycott.
Issuing a joint statement, they said, "When the soul of democracy has been sucked out from the Parliament, we find no value in a new building."
"The Constitution of India states, in Article 79, that "There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the Council of States and the of the People." The President is not only the Head of State in India, but also an integral part of the Parliament. She summons, prorogues, and addresses the Parliament. She must ament for an Act of Parliament to take effect. In short, the Parliament ennnot function without the President. Yet, the Prime Minister has decided to inaugurate the new Parliament buikling without her. This undignified act insulis the high office of the President, and violates the letter and spirit of the Constitution. It undermines the spirit of inclusion which saw the nation celebrate its first woman Adivasi President."
"Undemocratic sets are not new to the Prime Minister, who has relentlessly bowed out the Parliament. Opposition Members of Parliament have been disqualified, arpended and muted when they raised the is of the people of India, MPs from the Treasury benches have darupted Parliament. Many controversial legislations, inchating the three farm laws, have been passed with almat no debate, d Parliamentary Committees have been practically made defunct. The new Parliament building has been built at grst expense during a once in a century pandemic with no consultation with the pile of fidia or Mrs, for what it is apparently being built."
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Amid demands from the opposition that the president should inaugurate the new building, leaders of like-minded opposition parties deliberated on the issue and a joint statement by the floor leaders on a united boycott of the event may be issued soon, sources said.
Talking about the boycott and calling out for a course correction, RJD leader Manoj Jha said that the boycott is a message from a 'united Opposition' that PM Modi inaugurating the new parliament building is against the Constitution of India. "President Droupadi Murmu should inaugurate the new Parliament."
Uddhav Thackeray faction leader Sanjay Raut said, "All opposition parties have decided to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on 28th May and we will also do the same."
