Days ahead of the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of “repeatedly disrespecting propriety” by not inviting President Droupadi Murmu and former President Ram Nath Kovind to the inauguration.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the new building on May 28, according to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
In a series of tweets, the Congress president alleged that the Office of the President has been reduced to tokenism under the BJP-RSS Government. "It looks like the Modi Govt has ensured election of President of India from the Dalit and the Tribal communities only for electoral reasons (sic),” he said.
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While former president Ram Nath Kovind was not invited for the new Parliament foundation laying ceremony, President Droupadi Murmu is not being invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament building, the Congress leader noted. “She is the First Citizen of India. Inauguration of the new Parliament building by her will symbolise government’s commitment to democratic values and Constitutional propriety,” Kharge said, referring to President Murmu.
Noting that the Parliament is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India, and the President is its highest Constitutional authority, he said that she alone represents the government, opposition, and every citizen alike.
Opposition's chorus
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On May 18, the Lok Sabha Secretariat announced that Speaker Om Birla had met with PM Modi and extended an invitation to him to inaugurate the new building. Several opposition leaders have questioned this move, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying that the President, who is the head of the legislature, should instead be performing the inauguration.
CPI leader D Raja said that the Prime Minister leads the executive organ of the state and Parliament is the legislative organ. "It would have been appropriate for Smt. Droupadi Murmu as Head of the State to inaugurate the new Parliament. Obsession with self-image & cameras trumps decency & norms when it comes to Modi Ji!" he further said.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi too questioned why the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman were not chosen for inaugurating the new Parliament building.
"Why should PM inaugurate Parliament? He is head of the executive, not the legislature. We have separation of powers & Hon’ble @loksabhaspeaker & RS Chair could have inaugurated. It’s made with public money, why is PM behaving like his 'friends' have sponsored it from their private funds?" he said on Twitter.
The prime minister had laid the foundation stone of the new parliament building on December 10, 2020. At that time, the Congress and several other Opposition parties stayed away from the ceremony, owing to the raging Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing distress, ongoing farmer protests and economic turmoil caused by the lockdown.
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The Congress has been criticising the prime minister, claiming that the building is merely a "personal vanity project". In fact, the inauguration also coincides with the birth anniversary of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar and several opposition parties have targeted the government over it.
The Congress has called it a "complete insult" to the country's founding fathers.
Notably, the questions over the independence of the President also came up a few days back when former LG of J&K Satya Pal Malik during an interview with the Wire said that the guest list of President now passes through the PMO. However. since then, Malik has been subjected to consecutive attacks by the investigating agencies.
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(With inputs from PTI)
