New Delhi: In a significant moment for the country marking an event that will be recorded in the annals of Indian political history, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building today amid a boycott by several Opposition parties which insist that President Droupadi Murmu as head of the state should do the honours.
The ceremony to inaugurate the new Parliament building will begin with an early morning havan and multi-faith prayers followed by the formal opening by Prime Minister Modi. Representatives of as many as 25 parties and many dignitaries, including chief ministers and ministers, are expected to attend the inauguration.
Officials said the havan will be held outside the new building around 7 am and the ceremonial sceptre Sengol will be handed over to Modi by the high priests of the Shaivite order. The Sengol will be installed near the chair of the Speaker in the new Parliament building. Former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh among others are expected to be present during the formal inauguration of the new complex.
The triangular-shaped four-storey Parliament building has a built-up area of 64,500 sqm. The building has three main gates -- Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar, and Karma Dwar.
Security beefed in Lutyens' Delhi
Security was stepped up in Lutyens' Delhi ahead of the inauguration of the new Parliament building. Police have already issued a traffic advisory that the New Delhi district will be treated as a controlled area for the period and entry of vehicles will be restricted. The Parliament building is located in a high-security area. Besides additional deployment, there is continuous monitoring through CCTV cameras, the police said.
While around 20 parties have announced a boycott of the ceremony, agitating wrestlers, who are demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly sexually harassing seven women grapplers, are threatening to hold a protest meeting before the new Parliament building on Sunday.
However, an official said that no permission has been given for the 'women mahapanchayat' announced by the wrestlers, who have been staging a sit-in at Jantar Mantar - about 3 km from Parliament complex. A police official said that adequate security personnel have been deployed near the Parliament building, but refused to go into details.
Police pickets were set up in central Delhi and tight security arrangements will be made to maintain law and order, the official said. Also, security has been enhanced along the capital's border entry points.
Schedule of the inauguration ceremony
- 7:30 am – Puja and havan at the pandal near Mahatma Gandhi statue will mark the start of the inauguration ceremony. The Puja is expected to last for about an hour.
- 8:30 am – The Sengol or sceptre will be placed in the new Lok Sabha chamber of the parliament building. It will be installed near the Lok Sabha Speaker's chair.
- 9:30 am – An all-religion prayer ceremony will be organised in the parliament lobby. It will be attended by religious scholars and priests.
- 12 pm – The main function will kick off. Two short films on parliament will be screened and dignitaries will deliver speeches.
- 1 pm – Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a special Rs 75 coin and stamp to commemorate the inauguration of the new building.
- 1:10 pm – PM Narendra Modi will deliver his address.
List of political parties attending the inauguration ceremony
NDA constituents
- BJP (A total of 394 MPs in LS and RS)
- Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) (15 MPs)
- National People's Party, Meghalaya (two MPs)
- Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (one MP)
- Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (one MP)
- Jannayak Janata Party
- AIDMK (five MPs)
- IMKMK
- AJSU (one MP)
- RPI (Athawale) (one MP)
- Mizo National Front (two MPs)
- Tamil Maanila Congress (one MP)
- ITFT (Tripura)
- Bodo People's Party
- Pattali Makkal Kacchi (one MP)
- Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party
- Apna Dal (two MPs)
- Asom Gana Parishad (one MP)
Non-NDA Parties
- Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (one MP)
- BJD (21 MPs)
- BSP (10 MPs)
- TDP (4 MPs)
- YSRCP (31 MPs)
Parties boycotting the inauguration event
- Congress (81 MPs)
- DMK (34 MPs)
- Shiv Sena-UBT (seven MPs)
- AAP (11 MPs)
- Samajwadi Party (six MPs)
- CPI (four MPs)
- JMM (two MPs)
- Kerala Congress-Mani (two MPs)
- Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (one MP)
- Rashtriya Lok Dal (one MP)
- Trinamool Congress (35 MPs)
- Janata Dal (United) (21 MPs)
- NCP (nine MPs)
- CPI-M (eight MPs)
- RJD (six MPs)
- IUML (four MPs)
- NC (three MPs)
- RSP (one MP)
- MDMK (one MP)
- AIMIM (two MPs)
Also read: Teakwood from Nagpur, 'Jaali' from Rajasthan, carpets from Mirzapur: New Parliament building brings India together
