Oppn suffering from `fever' of Modi-hatred: Fadnavis

MUMBAI: Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday hit out at opposition parties over the Parliament inauguration row, and said they suffer from a ''fever of Modi-hatred''. Congress and 19 other parties have decided to boycott the inauguration of the new parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.

Opposition parties are demanding that President Droupadi Murmu and not Modi inaugurate the building.

"It is unfair to look at such events with a jaundiced outlook. The new parliament building is the pride of this country. The reasons given by those who are not going to attend the inaugural ceremony of the new temple of democracy are ridiculous,'' Fadnavis told reporters here.

''The opposition is suffering from a fever of hatred for Modi,'' he added.

The new parliament building was constructed in a short period which demonstrated the country's might, he said. "When late prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had inaugurated annex buildings of the Parliament or taken part in ground-breaking ceremony for the Parliament's library, respectively, was it against democratic norms?" Fadnavis asked.

What pains opposition leaders most is that Prime Minister Modi got the new Parliament built though the demand for one was being raised for long, he said.