Parliament inauguration row: Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan on Thursday jumped into the political battle between the Modi government and Opposition leaders over the inauguration of the newly-constructed Parliament building in New Delhi. She slammed a group of 20 Opposition parties who decided to quit the inauguration event of the Parliament. These Opposition parties are opposing the government's decision to get the new Parliament to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi instead of President Droupadi Murmu
"State governments which do not respect the Governors in their respective states are shedding crocodile tears that the constitutional head has not been invited to the inauguration of the new Parliament building. I was neither informed nor invited to the inauguration of the Telangana New Secretariat," Soundararajan said.
The matter moves SC
A PIL was filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday seeking a direction to the Lok Sabha secretariat for inauguration of the new Parliament building by the President, who is the "first citizen of India and the head of the institution". The petition says the respondents--the Lok Sabha secretariat and the Union of India--are "humiliating" the president by not inviting her for the inauguration.
The petition by an apex court lawyer comes amid a massive controversy over the scheduled inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.
20 Opposition parties come together
Some 20 opposition parties have decided to boycott the ceremony to protest the "sidelining" of the President. In a joint statement on Wednesday, 19 political parties said, "When the soul of democracy has been sucked out of Parliament, we find no value in a new building.
"The BJP-led NDA shot back, condemning the "contemptuous" decision. "This act is not merely disrespectful; it is a blatant affront to the democratic ethos and constitutional values of our great nation," parties belonging to the ruling NDA said in a statement on Wednesday.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had recently met the prime minister and invited him to inaugurate the new building. PM Modi had also laid the foundation stone for the building in 2020 and most opposition parties had stayed away from the event even then.
"That Article 79 of the Constitution states that there shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and the two Houses--Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of People (Lok Sabha). But the Respondents are not following Indian Constitution," the PIL said.
Referring to Article 79 of the Constitution, it said, the President is an integral part of Parliamentary form of democracy and that the apex court's interference is required to save "democracy of this nation".
"Further Article 87 says that at the beginning of every Parliamentary session, President shall address both Houses and inform Parliament of the causes of its summons.
But the respondents (Lok Sabha secretariat and Union of India) are trying to 'humiliate' the President. The President of India Droupadi Murmu is not being invited to the inauguration of the new Parliament building," the PIL said.
