Parliament Building Inauguration: The Congress on Wednesday said that 19 like-minded parties have decided to boycott the inauguration of new Parliament House by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28. A joint statement said: "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.

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"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 read.

It also said that the inauguration of a new Parliament building is a momentous occasion.

"Despite our belief that the government is threatening democracy, and our disapproval of the autocratic manner in which the new Parliament was built, we were open to sinking our differences and marking this occasion," it said.

"However, Prime Minister Modi's decision to inaugurate the new Parliament building by himself, completely sidelining President Droupadi Murmu, is not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate response," it added.

Referring to the Constitution's Article 79, the opposition parties said Murmu "is not only the Head of State but also an integral part of the Parliament.

"She summons, prorogues, and addresses the Parliament. She must assent for an Act of Parliament to take effect. In short, the Parliament cannot function without the President. Yet, the prime minister has decided to inaugurate the new Parliament building without her," the statement said.

The joint statement by the opposition -- also targeted the government over the disqualification of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and passage of three controversial farm bills, and said, "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 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 said.

The parties that signed this statement include the DMK and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party; the latter is an ally of the Congress in Maharashtra and the former in Tamil Nadu. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has reached out to opposition leaders, including Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, in efforts to unite them before the 2024 general election, is also a signatory.

Also on the list are the CPI and CPI(M), the Shiv Sena faction led by former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray (also a Congress ally), former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), and Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav (the Rashtriya Janata Dal).

Jharkhand's ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the Indian Union Muslim League, Kerala Congress (Mani), the VCK, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, the National Conference of ex-Jammu and Kashmir CMs Farooq and Omar Abdullah, the MDMK, and the Revolutionary Socialist Party will also boycott the ceremony.

The Biju Janata Dal has not signed this statement or announced a boycott so far.

A war of words has erupted between the Congress and the BJP over the inauguration of New Parliament House by PM Modi on May 28.

PM Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building -- a triangular-shaped four-storey building with a built-up area of 64,500 square metres.

The construction started on January 15, 2021 and was to be completed by August 2022.

Built in an area of 64,500 square metres, the new building will house 1,224 MPs.

It has a library, multiple committee rooms and dining rooms.

Tata Projects has constructed the building at an estimated cost of Rs 970 crore.

Shah says historic 'Sengol' to be installed

All political parties are invited to the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28 and they will take a "call as per their wisdom", Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday amidst a boycott call against the event by as many as 19 opposition parties.

Addressing a press conference, Shah said during the inauguration, 'Sengol', a historical sceptre from Tamil Nadu that was received by the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to represent the transfer of power from the British to Indians will be installed in the new Parliament building and asserted that the event should not be linked with politics.

 "The government of India has invited everyone to be present at the inauguration. Everyone will act as per their wisdom," Shah, who was flanked by Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur and Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy, said when asked about the opposition parties' decision to boycott the inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.

Some opposition parties announced the boycott of the function as they said it should have been done by President Droupadi Murmu.

 "Sengol can't be associated with politics. 'Sengol' conveys the message that the government should run with justice and fairness and it should be rule-based. This message will go to the people and people's representatives when it is installed in the new Parliament building.

 "This is the real purpose. Don't mix this with politics. This is an old tradition that is going to be connected with the new India. Politics has its own place. Everyone works as per their wisdom," he said.

The Home Minister said that the new Parliament building is an example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's far-sightedness.

The 'Sengol' will be installed near the chair of the Speaker in the new Parliament building.

He said the Prime Minister will also honour 60,000 workers (shram yogis) at the inauguration.

The home minister said the new Parliament building is a testament of the Prime Minister's vision of creating a new India, which combines modernity with the country's heritage and traditions.

Shah said the purpose of the installation was clear then and even now, and the transfer of power is not merely a handshake or signing a document, and that it must remain connected with local traditions keeping in mind modern needs.

The 'Sengol' to be installed in the new Parliament building is the original one received by Nehru.

On August 14, 1947, 'Sengol' was used to transfer the power from British to Indian hands and it was accepted by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the presence of Rajendra Prasad, who later became India's first President and many others.

The 'Sengol' is special and the word is derived from the Tamil word 'Semmai', meaning 'righteousness'

The historical sceptre was made of silver with gold coated and the sacred Nandi, with its unyielding gaze.

The Nandi on top of the 'Sengol' is symbolic of 'Nyaya' (Justice).

"Sengol represents the same feeling that Jawaharlal Nehru felt on August 14, 1947," he said.

Rahul slams Centre for not inviting President 

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday slammed the Centre for not inviting President Droupadi Murmu to the inauguration event of the new Parliament House, and said that 'Parliament is not made with bricks of arrogance but with constitutional values'.

His remarks came after the 19 parties, including the Congress, on Wednesday announced to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.

In a tweet in Hindi, Rahul Gandhi said, "Not allowing President to inaugurate and neither calling her in the inauguration ceremony is an insult to the top constitutional post of the country. Parliament is not built by bricks of arrogance but by Constitutional values."

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in a tweet said, "The clarinet of 'democracy' should be played in the Parliament, but ever since the self-proclaimed Vishwaguru has arrived, the cannon of 'monopoly' is being fired. Change the intention, not the building!"

NCP wants President to inaugurate

Amid the boycott call by 19 parties of the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building on Sunday, the NCP on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a personal request to President Droupadi Murmu to do the honours.

NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said the prime minister must follow Article 79 of the Constitution and invite the constitutional head of the country to inaugurate the new parliament building.

Earlier in the day, a total of 19 opposition parties including the NCP announced boycott of the inauguration ceremony. In a joint statement, they insisted that the building should be inaugurated by the president and not the prime minister.

"PM Narendra Modi ji must follow Article 79 of Indian constitution and personally request Hon'ble President Ms. Droupadi Murmu ji to inaugurate the new Parliament building. President is the Constitutional head of the country, therefore, is it her right to inaugurate," Crasto said.

(With inputs from IANS)