The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Wednesday condemned the decision of the 19 opposition parties led by the Congress to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28.
“This act is not merely disrespectful; it is a blatant affront to the democratic ethos and constitutional values of our great nation,” the statement released by NDA read.
It further claimed that this is not the first instance of "such disdain". "Over the past nine years, these opposition parties have repeatedly shown scant regard for parliamentary procedures, disrupted sessions, staged walkouts during crucial legislations, and demonstrated an alarming lackadaisical attitude towards their Parliamentary duties," the statement said.
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"Their hypocrisy knows no bounds – they boycotted the special GST session presided over by the then President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee; skipped the ceremony when he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, and even extended a late courtesy call to Shri Ramnath Kovind Ji upon his election as President," the statement further said.
At least 19 opposition parties, including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Trinamool Congress, the Left, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena on Wednesday said they will not be part of the event after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the building.
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Noting that the inauguration of the Parliament building is a momentous occasion, the opposition parties in a joint statement said,"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".
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".
In response, the NDA said in its statement, "It is painfully apparent that the Opposition shuns Parliament because it represents the will of the people - a will that has repeatedly rejected their antiquated and self-serving politics. Their preference for semi-monarchic governments and family-run parties shows an aversion to vibrant democracy, an ideology incongruent with the ethos of our nation."
(With inputs from PTI)
