NEW DELHI: The formal invitation sent out by the Lok Sabha Secretariat indicates that PM Narendra Modi would inaugurate the new parliament building, in the presence of Om Birla, the Speaker of the Lower House, despite opposition to him doing so, on May 28.
This occurs at a time when the opposition, led by the Congress party, has criticised the government over the Prime Minister's dedication of the new Parliament building and accused the BJP-led central government of demeaning the nation's highest office by failing to request the participation of President Droupadi Murmu or Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Union Minister for Urban Development (MoUD), Hardeep Singh Puri, took the initiative to criticise the Congress party on Twitter, he wrote,” Congress has a habit of raking controversies where none exist. While President is the Head of State, PM is the Head of Govt and leads the Parliament on behalf of the Govt, whose Policies are effected in form of Laws. The President is not a Member of either House, whereas PM is..”
Asaduddin Owaisi, the president of AIMIM, and Sukendu Sekhar Roy, a leader of the TMC, are two more opposition figures who have adopted the same rhetoric as the Congress party.
Several opposition figures are reportedly thinking about skipping the inaugural ceremony on Sunday because they feel the administration has insulted the President, according to sources.
Congress chose to abstain from the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Parliament building that Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed in December 2020.
The opposition has criticised the Prime Minister's decision to inaugurate the Parliament building, but the ruling BJP has rebutted their claims.
The first significant building of the Parliament complex, according to official party sources, happened after 1970. On August 3, 1970, the Parliament Annexe Building's foundation was laid by the then-President of India, VV Giri.
The current Parliament building, which will soon turn 100 years old, was finished in 1927. According to the current needs, this building was experiencing a space shortage. The efficiency of the Members' work was being hampered in both Houses by the lack of convenient arrangements for the MPs' meetings.
In light of the aforementioned, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha both voted resolutions requesting the government to establish a new Parliament building. As a result, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the cornerstone for the new Parliament building on December 10, 2020. The newly completed Parliament building was constructed with premium materials in record time.
Modern amenities have been installed in the newly built Parliamentary building, which will allow the Members of Parliament carry out their duties more effectively and enhance India's illustrious democratic traditions and constitutional ideals.
There is space in the current Parliament building for 543 Lok Sabha members to meet and 250 Rajya Sabha members to meet. Plans have been developed for a meeting of 888 Lok Sabha members and 384 Rajya Sabha members in the newly built Parliament complex, taking future needs into consideration. The Lok Sabha Chamber will be the location of the joint session of both Houses.
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