New Delhi: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in Supreme Court seeking directions to the Lok Sabha Secretariat and Central government to let President Droupadi Murmu inaugurate the new Parliament building.
The new Parliament building, constructed at a cost of Rs 862 crore, is scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.
As many as 19 national and regional parties — including Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, AIMIM and JD(U) – have announced they will boycott the inauguration as sidelining the President is not just a grave insult to the constitutional head of the state, but a direct assault on democracy.
Supreme Court lawyer CR Jaya Sukin, who has filed the PIL, has stated that by not including the President in the inauguration, the Central government has ‘violated the Constitution of India.’
“Parliament is the supreme legislative body of India. Parliament consists of the President and the two Houses — the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha,” the petition said.
“The President has the power to dissolve Parliament or Lok Sabha,” the petition stated, arguing that the Central government not inviting the President to the inauguration ceremony was ‘inappropriate’.
“The President is an integral part of the Parliament. Why was the President kept away from the foundation stone laying ceremony? Now the President is not invited to the inauguration ceremony. This decision of the government is not appropriate,” the plea said.
PM Modi, who returned to Delhi on Thursday at the end of a three-nation tour to Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia, took a veiled jibe at the boycotting Opposition parties and compared the incident with that of the Indian community event which he addressed in Sydney.
Odisha’s ruling party BJD is among 15 parties which will attend the inauguration on May 28.
Also Read: BJD Decision To Attend New Parliament Building Inauguration Heats Up Politics In Odisha
