New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the Narendra Modi government for not inviting President Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate the new Parliament building, saying that the Office of the President is reduced to “tokenism under the BJP-RSS Government”.
In a series of tweets Monday, Kharge pointed out that then president, Ramnath Kovind, was also not invited to the foundation laying ceremony two years ago.
“It looks like the Modi Govt has ensured election of President of India from the Dalit and the Tribal communities only for electoral reasons. While Former President, Shri Kovind was not invited for the New Parliament foundation laying ceremony…,” he wrote.
Last Thursday, the Lok Sabha Secretariat had announced that Modi will be inaugurating the new Parliament building on 28 May. The PM had laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building on 10 December, 2020.
Calling Parliament a supreme legislative body and the President its “highest Constitutional authority”, Kharge objected to the President not being invited to its inauguration.
“The President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu is not being invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament Building. The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India, and the President of India is its highest Constitutional authority,” he tweeted.
She alone represents government, opposition, and every citizen alike.
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.
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— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) May 22, 2023
The attack comes a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted that the President should inaugurate the new Parliament House, not the Prime Minister.
नए संसद भवन का उद्घाटन राष्ट्रपति जी को ही करना चाहिए, प्रधानमंत्री को नहीं!
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 21, 2023
Former Union minister and Congress Rajya Sabha MP Anand Sharma, too, has condemned the decision of the PM inaugurating the august house.
“It will not be Constitutionally correct for PM to inaugurate the new building of Parliament. Jury is out whether it was required at all. No major democracy has done this. Westminster is the seat of British Parliament and Capitol Hill of US Congress for hundreds of years,” he tweeted.
Rashtrapati addresses the joint session only flanked by Rajya Sabha Chairman – Vice President and Lok sabha speaker. PM and leader of Raya Sabha are seated in Central Hall. Constitution must be respected in letter and spirit and President should inaugurate. (4/4)
— Anand Sharma (@AnandSharmaINC) May 21, 2023
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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