'Not constitutionally correct...': Cong ahead of Parl inauguration by Modi

NEW DELHI: Referring to the inauguration of the new Parliament House, Congress leader Anand Sharma said that it is not "constitutionally correct" to exclude the President who is the 'Head of the Parliament' from the key events.

Congress party has been accusing the Centre saying that the President has "not even been invited" to the inauguration event of the new Parliament House.

"It is not constitutionally correct to take a major decision about the Parliament excluding the head of the Parliament, the President of India from the decision-making from the foundation stone laying, now for the inauguration," Anand Sharma said while addressing a press conference on Monday.

He further stated that Article 79 makes it "crystal clear" that the Parliament comprises the President of India, the head of the Parliament, and the two houses.

"First, the permanent house the Rajya Sabha, the Council of States and then the House of the People, the Lok Sabha. Why the Council of States? Because India is a union of states. And the Chairman of Rajya Sabha is the number 2 in the warrant of precedence, the honourable Vice President of India," the Congress leader added.

Earlier on Sunday, former MP Rahul Gandhi had said that the President should inaugurate the newly-constructed Parliament building and not the Prime Minister.

"The President should inaugurate the new Parliament House, not the Prime Minister!" Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet on Sunday. Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be dedicating the newly-constructed Parliament building to the country on May 28.

A Lok Sabha release said that construction of the New Parliament Building in the national capital has been completed and symbolises the spirit of self-reliant India. The present building of the Parliament was completed in 1927 and is now going to be almost 100 years old.

"The lack of space was being experienced in this building as per the present requirements. In both the Houses, there was also a lack of convenient arrangements for the sitting of the MPs which was affecting the efficiency of the work of the members," the release said.

Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed resolutions urging the government to construct a new building for the Parliament. The foundation stone of the new building of Parliament was laid by Prime Minister Modi on December 10, 2020. The newly constructed Parliament building has been built "in record time with quality construction".

"The newly-constructed building of Parliament, which will further enrich India's glorious democratic traditions and constitutional values, is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities which will help the Members to perform their functions in a better way," the release stated.

It said 888 members will be able to sit in the Lok Sabha. In the present building of the Parliament, there is a provision for the sitting of 543 Members in the Lok Sabha and 250 in the Rajya Sabha.

Keeping in view the future requirements, arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 384 members in the Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building of the Parliament. The joint session of both Houses will be held in Lok Sabha Chamber.