'Unfortunate': Union Minister Pralhad Joshi On Opposition Skipping Parliament Opening

19 opposition parties have issued a joint statement to boycott the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

New Delhi: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday termed as "unfortunate" the decision by 19 opposition parties to boycott the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building and urged them to reconsider their stand. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the new Parliament building on Sunday.

"Boycotting and making an issue out of a non-issue is most unfortunate. I appeal to them to reconsider their decision and join the function," Joshi told reporters here on the sidelines of a national workshop on National e-Vidhan Application.

Joshi said the Lok Sabha Speaker was the custodian of Parliament and he has extended an invitation to the prime minister to inaugurate the building.

The opposition parties contend that President Droupadi Murmu should do the honours as she was not only the Head of State, but also an integral part of Parliament as she summons, prorogues, and addresses it.

In a joint statement, they said the inauguration of the Parliament building is a momentous occasion but despite our belief that the government is threatening democracy, and our disapproval of the "autocratic manner" in which the new Parliament was built, we were open to sinking our differences and marking this occasion.

"However, Prime Minister Modi's decision to inaugurate the new Parliament building by himself, completely sidelining President Murmu, is not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate response," the opposition parties said.

The Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Janata Dal (United), AAP, CPI-M, CPI, SP, NCP, SS (UBT), RJD, IUML, JMM, NC, KC (M), RSP, VCK, MDMK, RLD are the signatories of the joint statement.

Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building on May 28 following an invitation by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

The opposition parties noted that the President is not only the Head of State in India, but also an integral part of Parliament as she summons, prorogues, and addresses Parliament.

"In short, Parliament cannot function without the president. Yet, the prime minister has decided to inaugurate the new Parliament building without her. This undignified act insults the high office of the president, and violates the letter and spirit of the Constitution. It undermines the spirit of inclusion which saw the nation celebrate its first woman Adivasi President," the parties said.

They added that the new Parliament building has been built at great expense during a once-in-a-century pandemic with no consultation with the people of India or MPs, for whom it is apparently being built.

"When the soul of democracy has been sucked out from the Parliament, we find no value in a new building. We announce our collective decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

"We will continue to fight -- in letter, in spirit, and in substance -- against this 'authoritarian' prime minister and his government, and take our message directly to the people of India," the opposition parties said in their joint statement.

The opposition parties had boycotted the ceremony to lay the foundation stone of the building by Modi in December 2020, citing concerns about its timing amid farmer protests, the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic distress due to a lockdown.