More than 20 opposition parties, including Congress, AAP, and TMC, have announced their boycott of the inauguration ceremony for the new parliament complex.
Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision, asking why President Droupadi Murmu should not attend the event. He emphasized that the President, as the Head of the State, should be part of this historic occasion.
The opposition parties, during a joint session, declared their boycott of the event, considering it a “grave insult” and a “direct assault” on democracy. They objected to PM Modi presiding over the inauguration instead of the President.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) criticized the opposition’s boycott, accusing them of showing contempt for the essence of democracy. NDA leaders expressed that the insult to democracy and elected representatives would not be forgotten by the 1.4 billion people of India.
The Supreme Court declined to entertain a petition seeking the direction to have President Murmu unveil the new parliament building instead of the prime minister. The bench of justices stated that they understood the purpose of the petition but were not inclined to entertain it under Article 32 of the Constitution.
