New Parliament inauguration ceremony details revealed; check details here

PM Modi is set to inaugurate the new Parliament building alongside Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday, May 28. The inauguration ceremony will take place in two phases. 

The first phase of the ceremony will commence in the morning, ANI reports. It will consist of rituals held in a pandal near the Gandhi statue in the parliament. PM Modi, Om Birla and other senior ministers are expected to be present. 

Following the rituals and poojas, the people present will be given a tour of the new Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha chambers. The ‘Sengol’ is also likely to be installed in the Lok Sabha chamber, with priests from Tamil Nadu brought in to perform rituals. The original jeweller who made the ‘Sengol’ will also be present. 

Arrangements for a prayer ceremony inside the new building have also been made. Following this, the first phase will conclude at 9.30 am. 

The singing of the national anthem in the Lok Sabha chamber will kick off the second phase at noon. PM Modi and senior officials will be present at the time.

After the national anthem, Deputy Rajya Sabha Chairman Hariwansh will read out a message on behalf of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar. A message from President Droupadi Murmu will be read out as well. 

Two short videos will play following the messages, depicting the construction process of the new building and highlighting its significance. 

Slots have been allotted for a speech from the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. The latter, Mallikarjun Kharge’s, status is unknown as the Indian National Congress has declared its intention to boycott the ceremony.  

To mark the occasion, PM Modi will be releasing a new coin and stamp, and will deliver a speech. Following his speech, the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha will deliver a vote of thanks to conclude the ceremony. 

Earlier, the Indian National Congress, alongside 18 parties, had announced that it would boycott the inauguration ceremony. Amidst the boycott, 25 parties, including the Republican Party of India, Apna Dal, AIADMK and more, have notified the centre that they would be present at the event.