RJD makes coffin jibe at new Parliament building; BJP says register treason charge

NEW DELHI: The Rashtriya Janata Dal on Sunday allegedly equated the structure of the new Parliament building with that of a coffin. Earlier today Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the new Parliament building to the nation by unveiling a plaque and installing the 'Sengol' in the Lok Sabha chamber.

Taking to Twitter, the RJD shared a photo of a coffin and asked 'Yeh kya hai (What is this?) in hindi. The reaction has elicited sharp reactions from BJP.

"A case of treason should be registered against such people who have compared the new Parliament building with a coffin: BJP leader Sushil Modi said.

RJD leader Shakti Yadav while speaking to ANI said, "PM Modi has buried democracy. The coffin has been posted as Modi has ensured the death of democracy."

The party had earlier announced that it would boycott the inauguration ceremony.

"This is very unfortunate. Today they are comparing it with a coffin, were they comparing the old Parliament with 'zero'? We were earlier sitting in zero?" BJP leader Dushyant Gautam asked. RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said that there is a need for course correction with the entire Parliament Building inauguration.

Earlier today PM Modi felicitated some of the workers involved in the construction of the new building. He handed over mementoes to them Prime Minister Modi installed the sacred 'Sengol' in the new Lok Sabha chamber, right next to the Speaker's chair, after performing puja.

PM Modi also prostrated as a mark of respect before the 'Sengol' during the ceremony.

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

The new Parliament building is designed to enable 888 members 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 the Lok Sabha Chamber.