'Opposition should praise...': Ghulam Nabi Azad on row over new Parliament building inauguration

Senior politician and former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad condemned the Opposition’s decision to boycott the new Parliament building opening scheduled on Sunday. The Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief said he would attend the ceremony and added that the Opposition should praise the BJP government for having erected the new Parliament in record time.

"I would surely attend the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building if I was in Delhi but I have a function to attend. The Opposition should praise the government for building the new Parliament in record time, whereas they criticise the government. I am strictly against the Opposition boycotting this," Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad.

"We had dreamt of this (construction of a new Parliament) some 30-35 years ago when I was Parliamentary Affairs minister. Then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, Shivraj Patil and I discussed the project and, in fact, even carved out a map for the purpose. We could not do it then, but it is being constructed now. It is a good thing," he said.

Azad further said that a new Parliament building was important and inevitable. He congratulated the incumbent government for completing the project in record time. "It is not easy to prepare a Parliament within this span," he said.  

Regarding the Opposition’s claim that the inauguration by PM Modi is an insult to the President's high office and a violation of the Constitution in letter and spirit, Azad said it did not matter whether the prime minister inaugurated the new building or the President.

"It's not that the President is not elected by the BJP. If you (Opposition) are so pro-President (Murmu) then why did you nominate your presidential candidate against her?" Azad said.

The Opposition parties in their letter had referred to the Constitution's Article 79 and stated that 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 opposition parties declared.    

On Friday, senior BJP leader and senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani said that neither constitutional law nor convention mandates that the President of India inaugurate a new Parliament building.  

Pointing out the constitutional law, Jethmalani said that the President is very much part of Parliament, and has powers in respect of the institution. Most of these powers are to be exercised on the advice of the Council of Ministers.  

“Neither constitutional law nor convention mandates that the President of India inaugurated a new Parliament building! The President is very much part of Parliament and the Constitution exhaustively prescribes his/ her powers in respect of the institution. Most of these powers are to be exercised on the advice of the Council of Ministers and a few are to be exercised in his/ her independent discretion,” Jethmalani tweeted.  

He further added: “The Constitutional role for the President is concerned with weighty matters of State: not symbolic acts outside the Houses. The boycott of the inauguration by a number of Opposition parties is totally misconceived and yet another act of petty personal politics. If better sense does not prevail by Sunday there is no loss to the nation: the only losers will be the boycotting members themselves. They will not be part of a most significant event in the annals of our Parliament’s history and future generations will only mock them for their churlishness."

On Wednesday, Opposition parties issued a joint statement stating they would not attend the inauguration of the new Parliament building by PM Modi. Twenty parties, including the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiv Sena (UBT), the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and Janata Dal (United), announced in a joint statement they will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28.

On Saturday, former actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan questioned PM Modi on President Murmu's absence at the inauguration. Haasan said: “Please tell the country, why the President of India should not attend the inauguration of our new Parliament?” I see no reason why the President of India as Head of the State should not be part of this historic occasion."

Meanwhile, a complaint has been filed against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and several others for allegedly making inciteful comments on President Droupadi Murmu's caste while remarking on the inauguration of the new Parliament building, news agency ANI reported.

The complainant accused Kejriwal, Kharge, and others of creating "enmity among communities," and "distrust for the Government of India." in order to achieve their political goals. The complaint was filed under sections 121,153A,505, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

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