Regarding the inauguration of India’s new parliament structure, the government and opposition have traded barbs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to open it on May 28.
Leaders of the opposition have accused the government of “constitutional impropriety” for failing to ask the president to access the building.
They have also criticized the date chosen by the government, which coincides with the birthday of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar.
Savarkar is viewed as a divisive figure by opposition parties, while the ruling BJP lauds him as a hero.
Opposition party leaders deemed the selection of the inauguration date a “insult” to India’s founding fathers.
Congress representative Jairam Ramesh criticized the government’s decision to inaugurate the new parliament building on the birthday of a man who opposed Mahatma Gandhi throughout his entire existence.
The BJP has defended the decision, stating that the new edifice is a source of national pride.
The construction of the new parliament commenced in January 2021.
The four-story structure, designed by HCP Design, Planning and Management and constructed by Tata Projects, has a larger seating capacity and is estimated to cost 9.7 billion rupees ($117.1 million or £94.2 million).
The extant parliament structure from the colonial era will continue to be utilized.
Last week, when the plans for the inauguration of the new building were announced, several opposition parties criticized the government for excluding the Indian president, Draupadi Murmu, from the ceremony.
Congressman Rahul Gandhi suggested that she inaugurate the structure.
“The Indian Parliament is the paramount legislative body of the Republic of India, while the President of India is its highest constitutional authority. She alone represents the government, the opposition, and every single citizen,” tweeted Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. His tweet stated that her inauguration of the new parliament building would symbolize the government’s commitment to democratic values and constitutional propriety.
A spokesman for the BJP, Gaurav Bhatia, dismissed the criticism as “chest-beating” by the Congress party.
He added that Mr. Gandhi was a “bad omen in favorable times” who could not celebrate the “historic moment.”
According to reports, the Congress is currently contemplating a boycott of the event. It was among the opposition parties that did not attend the building’s foundation-laying ceremony in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.