Trinamool Congress and AAP on Tuesday became the first parties to announce a boycott of the inauguration of new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while other Opposition parties are discussing among themselves to jointly announce skipping the event in protest against not inviting President Droupadi Murmu to the ceremony.
Trinamool’s announcement came soon after invitations were sent out by Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh to MPs in the evening, even as the Opposition stepped up attack on the government over Modi inaugurating the new structure on Sunday.
“Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesn’t get that. For him, Sunday’s inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out,” Trinamool Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O’Brien tweeted his party’s decision.
Soon after Trinamool's announcement, AAP sources said its MPs will also boycott the event as it is angry over the President not being invited to the function.
Sources said Congress and other Opposition parties were holding deliberations on jointly announcing the boycott of the event. Senior leaders like K C Venugopal, Sitaram Yechury and T R Baalu, among others, were favouring the boycott of the event and wanted the Opposition to announce the boycott jointly.
Trinamool Congress was also approached, but they announced their plans on their own, sources said. The Opposition plan is to issue a joint statement by floor leaders announcing their boycott of the event in protest against Modi, and not Murmu inaugurating the building.
The Opposition is also not happy with the choice of date, as it coincides with the birth anniversary of V D Savarkar, a Hindutva ideologue. Leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and others have commented against the government’s move to ignore the President.
When asked whether the Congress would attend the event, a senior leader said, “in spirit (will attend) but not in body”.
The Opposition argues that the Constitution makes it clear that the Parliament comprises of the President, the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha. Leaders also said that even Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is also the Vice President, cannot attend the ceremony as it would violate protocol in the present scheme of things.
Then-Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu was present when the foundation stone was laid by Modi in December 2020. Naidu was also absent when the national emblem atop the building was unveiled in July 2022.