Parliament to shift in new building on Ganesh Chaturthi, but what will happen to the old one?

Indian democracy will embark on a new journey Tuesday on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi as Parliament will sit in the new building.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the first day of the Special Parliament Session, opened the debate on the 75 years of the Indian Parliament as he bid an emotional goodbye to the old parliament building constructed in the British era.

In his speech, Modi mentioned the many achievements that the old building has achieved through its glorious past, the adoption of the Indian Constitution is one of them.

The old Parliament building was designed by British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker and was constructed in 1927. It is now over 90 years old.

Modi reminisced about former Prime Ministers including Jawahar Lal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee while addressing the Special Session of Parliament on Monday.

PM Modi said “The echo of Pandit (Jawaharlal) Nehru’s at the stroke of midnight’ in this Parliament will continue to inspire us. And this is that very Parliament where Atal Ji said ‘sarkaren ayyengi, jayengi; partiyan banegi, bigedgi; magar ye desh rahna chahiye’.”

The new parliament building was inaugurated by the prime minister in May this year.

What will happen to the old Parliament building?

As per government sources, the 96-year-old parliament building will not be demolished. It would instead be “retrofitted” to make more space for parliamentary events.

“The historic structure will be conserved, as it is an archaeological asset of the country,” sources told NDTV.

In 2021, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told the Rajya Sabha that the existing structure would be repaired and used for alternative purposes.

Some sources also suggest that the old parliament building will be turned into a museum.