From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has shown an upmanship by organising 25 political parties to attend the inauguration of the new Parliament building on Sunday as against 21 opposition parties boycotting it
Apart from BJP, several parties in the NDA including AIADMK, Apna Dal, the Republican Party of India, the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena, NPP, and NPF have confirmed their attendance for the function on Sunday. Several neutral parties, including Biju Janata Dal, TDP, and YSRCP will be present for the inauguration.
Among the opposition parties, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) and Janata Dal-Secular will also attend the function on Sunday. Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda will join the ceremony on behalf of JD-S.
This comes after 19 opposition parties including Congress put out a joint statement early this week announcing a boycott of the Parliament building inauguration. Two other parties joined them later.
Invitations for the inauguration of the new parliament, building slated to take place on May 28 have been sent both physically as well as through e-invitation.
The inauguration will be in two phases. The first will be a prayer meeting in a pandal (canopy) near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament premises that ends at 9.30 AM. After the rituals of pooja ceremony, the dignitaries will examine the premises in the new building at noon after the National Anthem when the sacred ‘Sengol’ will be installed in the Lok Sabha chamber, right next to the Speaker’s chair, after performing some rituals, for which priests from Tamil Nadu, including the original jeweller who designed it, will be present.
A prayer ceremony will also be organised on the premises of the new parliament building, say the sources.
In fact, two short audio-video films will also be showcased for the dignitaries present to talk about the process of construction of the new parliament, building and its significance.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is the custodian of the Parliament, will also be making a speech on the occasion. He will be accompanying Prime Minister Modi throughout the ceremonies and urge him to dedicate the new building to the nation.
A slot has also been kept for the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha to make his speech on the occasion. However, it is known that LoP Mallikarjun Kharge is unlikely to attend the ceremony on Sunday after the Congress party along with a host of opposition parties announced the boycott of the inauguration ceremony.
