House tussle boils over: 21 parties to skip event

New Delhi Twenty-one opposition parties announced on Wednesday that they will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament on May 28 over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to preside over the ceremony instead of President Droupadi Murmu, casting a shadow over the opening of a building that will soon function as the heart of India’s democracy.

A joint statement by 19 parties — which together control 11 state governments and 230 seats in the Lok Sabha — said Modi’s decision to inaugurate the new Parliament was an “assault on democracy”, marking a fresh standoff between the government and Opposition whose deteriorating ties have jammed recent sessions of Parliament.

Later, two more parties, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), also said they would stay away from the event.

The 19 parties, in their joint statement, argued that President was not only the head of the State but an integral part of Parliament, which cannot function without her. Therefore, Modi’s decision to inaugurate the new building undermined the office of the President and violated the letter and spirit of the Constitution, they said.

But leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Wednesday said the boycott decision showed contempt for the essence of democracy.

“When the soul of democracy has been sucked out from 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 statement said.

The NDA statement — signed among others by BJP president JP Nadda, Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma — said the decision to boycott the ceremony “is not merely disrespectful; it is a blatant affront to the democratic ethos and constitutional values of our great nation”. “Their (Opposition’s) actions today will echo through the annals of history, casting a long shadow over their legacy. We urge them to think about the nation and not individual political gains,” it added.

The BJP also argued that previous prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had inaugurated the Parliament annexe and library respectively.

The Union government, too, dismissed the objections and parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said this was a historic occasion, and not a time for politics. “I would like to tell them that this is a historical event. This is not the time for politics...Boycotting and making issues out of a new issue is most unfortunate. I appeal to them to reconsider their decision and join this historical function...,” Joshi added.

The Opposition statement was signed by the Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Aam Aadmi Party, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, Janata Dal (United), Nationalist Congress Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Rashtriya Janata Dal, Indian Union Muslim League, National Conference, Communist Party of India, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Kerala Congress (Mani), Vidhuthalai Chirunthaigal Katchi, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Revolutionary Socialist Party, and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

The new Parliament was built over three years at a cost of ₹1,200 crore; it is aimed at providing a facelift and amenities not available at the iconic colonial-era building next door that served as India’s Parliament for 75 years after being opened in 1927.

A two-hour-long programme with multi-faith prayers and a guest list that includes all members of Parliament (MPs) and chief ministers is scheduled for the inauguration on Sunday at 12pm. Modi will lead the ceremony inside the new Lok Sabha chamber that can accommodate nearly 900 people. The programme will also showcase modern facilities of the new building that is likely to start functioning from the monsoon session in July.

But political tensions have simmered for days now over the PM’s decision to open the building.

Opposition parties say that as the President summons, prorogues and addresses Parliament,and her assent is a must for any act to become law, her absence from the event is an insult to her office. “It undermines the spirit of inclusion which saw the nation celebrate its first woman adivasi President,” the statement added.

In a tweet in Hindi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “Neither getting the President to inaugurate the Parliament nor inviting her to the ceremony is an insult to the country’s highest constitutional post. Parliament is not built by bricks of ego, but through constitutional values.”

To be sure, not all non-BJP parties are boycotting the event. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and YSR Congress Party said they’ll attend the event.

“Such issues can always be debated later in the August house. Hence the BJD shall be a part of this momentous occasion”, said a statement by the BJD.

“In the true spirit of democracy, my party will attend this historic event,” tweeted YSRCP chief and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Some of these parties have earlier lent support to the BJP in Parliament on crucial bills and votes.

The Opposition joint statement accused the PM of hollowing out Parliament, and said the new building was constructed with no consultation with the people of India or MPs.

“Opposition members of Parliament have been disqualified, suspended and muted when they raised the issues of the people of India. MPs from the treasury benches have disrupted Parliament. Many controversial legislations, including the three farm laws, have been passed with almost no debate, and parliamentary committees have been practically made defunct,” the parties said.

It came a day after HT reported that at least five opposition parties had indicated or confirmed that they would skip the event. The stand-off also marks a major moment for unity for the Opposition, which has been trying to forge a common platform to take on the BJP ahead of the 2024 elections. It also comes as a parliamentary battle is brewing over a possible vote on a controversial ordinance that the Centre issued last week to regain control of Delhi’s bureaucracy after the top court granted the powers to the Capital’s elected government.

In its statement on Wednesday, the NDA said,

“Regrettably, this is not the first instance of such disdain. Over the past nine years, these opposition parties have repeatedly shown scant regard for parliamentary procedures, disrupted sessions, staged walkouts during crucial legislations, and demonstrated an alarming lackadaisical attitude towards their Parliamentary duties. This recent boycott is just another feather in their cap of disregard for democratic processes,” added the statement.