PM is Head of Government: BJP vs Congress on new Parliament building inauguration

The inauguration of the new Parliament by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has triggered a fresh storm between the ruling BJP and the Opposition, with the latter demanding it should be done by the President not PM Modi.

New Delhi:The BJP-Opposition tussle over the inauguration of the new Parliament building has reached a new peak with both sides offering lessons in Constitution to the other. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri accused the Congress of 'misquoting' Articles from the Constitution to justify their stand on why the President should be inaugurating the new Parliament complex instead of celebrating a historic milestone of India's democracy.

"From criticising the New Parliament Building and questioning its very necessity despite many of them advocating for it before but not executing it, Congress President and other worthies are now shifting the goalpost by generously misquoting an article a day from the Constitution!" Puri quoted images of quote tweets from Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, on Tuesday.

In a string of tweets, Puri defended the decision of PM Modi to inaugurate the new building. Earlier on Monday, he recommended some 'homework' for Congress MP Shashi Tharoor before jumping to conclusions. Puri said that while President is the Head of the State, the Prime Minister is the Head of the Government. He leads the Parliament on behalf of the Government, whose policies are effected in the form of laws, Puri explained. "The President is not a Member of either House, whereas PM is," he stressed pointing out that the Congress is in the habit of raking controversies.

The Union Minister was responding to Shashi Tharoor who lessons in Constitution to the ruling BJP. Tharoor subscribed to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's statement reasoning why the President should be inaugurating the Parliament building. Tharoor added that it is 'totally incomprehensible' and 'unconstitutional' for him to inaugurate the Parliament building and not the President.

Kharge said the Parliament is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India whose highest Constitutional authority is the President. "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," Kharge tweeted.

Former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had earlier iterated that President not PM should inaugurate the new Parliament building. the same message on Sunday. The Opposition has been critical of the new Parliament building project and has described it as PM Modi's personal 'vanity' project.