Boycotting history? Which Opposition parties will skip inauguration of new Parliament building by PM Modi

The new Parliament building of India will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, 28 May, but 19 opposition parties led by the Congress will boycott the event, saying the decision of the PM to inaugurate it himself and “completely sidelining” President Droupadi Murmu insults the high office of President and violates the letter and spirit of the Constitution.

“The President is not only the Head of State in India, but also an integral part of the Parliament…. The Parliament cannot function without the President. Yet, the Prime Minister has decided to inaugurate the new Parliament building without her,” the joint statement of like-minded opposition parties read.

The 19 opposition parties said Article 79 of the Constitution of India states, “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 House of the People.”

Which 19 opposition parties are boycotting Parliament building inauguration?

1- Indian National Congress (INC)

2- Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)

3- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

4- Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray)

5- Samajwadi Party (SP)

6- Communist Party of India (CPI)

7- Jharkhand Mukhti Morcha (JMM)

8- Kerala Congress (Mani)

9- Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi

10- Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD)

11- Trinamool Congress (TMC)

12- Janata Dal (United) (JD(U))

13- Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

14- Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M)

15- Rashtriya Janata Dal (RLD)

16- Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)

17- National Conference (NC)

18- Revolutionary Socialist Party

19- Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Also Read: Hands of Gold: PM Modi to honour 60,000 workers who built new Parliament building

‘Undemocratic acts not new’

The parties further alleged that “undemocratic acts are not new to the Prime Minister, who has relentlessly hollowed out the Parliament”.

“Opposition Members of Parliament have been disqualified, suspended and muted when they raised the issues of the people of India. MPs from the Treasury benches have disrupted Parliament. Many controversial legislations, including the three farm laws, have been passed with almost no debate, and Parliamentary Committees have been practically made defunct,” the joint-statement read.

“The new Parliament building has been built at great expense during a once-in-a-century pandemic with no consultation with the people of India or MPs, for whom it is apparently being built,” it read.

“When the soul of democracy has been sucked out from the Parliament, we find no value in a new building. We announce our collective decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building. We will continue to fight — in letter, in spirit, and in substance — against this authoritarian Prime Minister and his government, and take our message directly to the people of India,” the statement concluded.

In December 2000, the Congress and a number of Opposition parties skipped the foundation-laying ceremony of the new Parliament building.

Who called for the boycott?

The boycott call this time gathered pace from Tuesday after the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC and Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP announced their decision to skip the event following a meeting between chiefs of both the parties. Kejriwal met Mamata to seek her support against the Centre’s ordinance on control of administrative services in the capital.

The CPI and the CPI(M) also announced on Tuesday their decision to boycott the event.

Who will attend new Parliament building inauguration?

The BJP and members of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will be attending the inauguration.

Odisha’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is expected to attend as it has not signed the opposition statement or announced its stand on this issue.

Telangana’s ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is also likely to attend. It is expected to a final call on Thursday.

The YSRCP of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy will attend the ceremony, party MP Vijaysai Reddy confirmed on Wednesday.

With inputs from agencies

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