'Count us out': TMC to boycott inauguration of new parliament building

Leader of the TMC in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay said that the inauguration programme should have been held either on Independence Day, Republic Day, or on Gandhi Jayanti, and not on the birth anniversary of VD Savarkar.

Kolkata:The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday announced its decision to boycott the upcoming inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28. TMC leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien strongly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of making the event all about himself.

"Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesn’t get that. For him, Sunday’s inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out," the TMC MP tweeted.

Leader of the TMC in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay was quoted as saying by PTI that the inauguration programme should have been held either on Independence Day, Republic Day, or on Gandhi Jayanti, and not on the birth anniversary of VD Savarkar. "We have decided to boycott the inauguration programme of the new Parliament building on May 28. The inauguration should have been done on either Independence Day or Republic Day, or on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. It should not have been done on the birth anniversary of VD Savarkar," he said.

Asked if the TMC raised its concerns with the Centre, Bandopadhyay replied positively. "The opposition parties have been kept in the dark about what will happen to the old Parliament building. The government is maintaining a stoic silence on it," he said.

Scheduled to open on May 28, the new Parliament building, which can accommodate more than 1,200 MPs, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The announcement of this event by the Lok Sabha Secretariat on May 18 drew criticism from opposition leaders who argued that the head of the legislature, rather than the head of the government, should perform the inauguration.

Constructed by Tata Projects Ltd, the new Parliament building boasts a magnificent constitution hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for MPs, a library, numerous committee rooms, dining areas, and ample parking space. Notably, the marshals of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will have a revised dress code in the new Parliament.