Nirmala invites Oppn to take part in Parliament inauguration

CHENNAI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday invited the opposition parties to take part in the unveiling ceremony of the new Parliament building with a humble request to reconsider their early decision to boycott the opening ceremony.

Addressing reporters in Chennai along with her colleague L Murugan and Governors of Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Nagaland and TN minister PK Sekar Babu, the Union Minister said that the Parliament building is a temple of democracy.

"I humbly request and appeal to the opposition parties, kindly reconsider, change your stand and participate in the inaugural ceremony," she said.

Answering the question related to the opposition's boycott, the FM said that there is nothing to politicize the inaugural ceremony of the new Parliament building.

"The Prime Minister will install the Sengol (Sceptre) in the new Parliament building near the Lok Sabha Speaker chair. It's a pride for Tamil people. Even if you (The Opposition) don't like our Prime Minister, It is not good to boycott the inaugural ceremony of the temple of democracy. The invite was sent to all opposition parties on behalf of Lok Sabha Speaker through Lok Sabha Secretary General," she added.

Slamming the Opposition's allegation for not inviting the President of India to unveil the new Parliament building, Nirmala Sitharaman said that the leaders of opposition parties have spoken ill words like the rubber stamp and all about the President Droupadi Murmu during the Presidential election and now they became morally motivated is a surprise and it's all an abusive campaign.

Criticising former PM Jawaharlal Nehru, the Union Minister said that the Sengol (Sceptre) should have been installed at the Parliament, but the then prime minister kept it at his house in Uttar Pradesh.

"Our PM Narendra Modi wanted the Sengol (Sceptre) to be installed in the new Parliament, and he had taken steps to bring back our civilisation symbols into the temple of democracy following the Constitutional monarchy," she further stated.

"20 aadeenams from Tamil Nadu invited for the inaugural ceremony of the new Parliament building on May 28, where the Sengol will be installed as did in 1947 to symbolise the power transformation from the British," she added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will dedicate to the nation the new Parliament building on May 28.

A total of 21 opposition parties including the Congress and DMK have announced a boycott of the inauguration of the new Parliament building saying that the decision to inaugurate the building without President Draoupadi Murmu insults the high office of the President, and violates the latter and spirit of the Constitution of India.