New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday slammed the BJP government at the Centre over the inauguration of the new Parliament House by Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled on May 28 saying the government had ensured the election of President of India from the Dalit and the Tribal communities only for electoral reasons and the Office of the President was reduced to tokenism under it.
In a series of tweets, Kharge said, “It looks like the Modi Govt has ensured the election of President of India from the Dalit and the Tribal communities only for electoral reasons. While Former President, (Ram Nath) Kovind was not invited for the New Parliament foundation laying ceremony… The President of India Droupadi Murmu is not being invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament Building.”
His remarks came a day after former party chief Rahul Gandhi also echoed similar views and said President Murmu should inaugurate the new Parliament House instead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The New Parliament House inauguration event is scheduled on May 28.
PM Modi will be inaugurating the new Parliament building — a triangular-shaped four-storey building with a built-up area of 64,500 square metres.
The Congress has called the new Parliament building Modi’s vanity project.
Earlier, Congress General secretary Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at the government and said, “A complete insult to all our Founding Fathers and Mothers. A total rejection of Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Bose, et al. A blatant repudiation of Dr. Ambedkar.”
Ramesh also slammed the Prime Minister and said, “The sole architect, designer and worker for the new Parliament building, which he will inaugurate on May 28th. The picture tells it all…”personal vanity project.”
The triangular shaped building’s construction started on January 15, 2021 and was to be completed by August 2022.
Built in an area of 64,500 square metres, the new building will house 1,224 MPs and is a four-storey structure.
It has a library, multiple committee rooms and dining rooms.
Tata Projects has constructed the building at an estimated cost of Rs 970 crore.
