New parliament building reflects the aspirations of new India: PM
19 opposition parties boycott the event
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the new parliament building was a reflection of the aspirations of New India and a testament to the dawn of a selfreliant nation.
Addressing a function to inaugurate the new parliament building, Modi said as India surges ahead, the new Parliament building will also contribute to the world's progress.
“The new parliament building will be a testament to the dawn of a self-reliant India. It will be a witness to our journey towards a developed India,” Modi said at the event attended by former president Ram Nath Kovind, Chief Ministers Y S Jagan Reddy, Yogi Adityanath, Eknath Shinde and Neiphiu Rio, foreign envoys, parliamentarians and people from different walks of life.
“More than just a building, the new parliament encompasses the aspirations and dreams of 1.4 billion people. It sends a powerful message to the world about India's unwavering determination,” Modi said.
The prime minister said the revered Sengol has also been installed in the new Parliament building on this historic day.
“In the Chola empire, it (Sengol) was considered a symbol of the path of duty, path of service and path of the nation,” Modi said.
The prime minister said India's democracy was its inspiration, the Constitution its resolve and parliament was the best representative of this inspiration and resolution.
Flanked by priests, Modi inaugurated a new parliament in a ceremony steeped in religious symbolism but boycotted by opposition parties.
The hexagonal new building is the centrepiece of a remodelling of the heart of New Delhi by Modi aimed at ridding the Indian capital of the vestiges of British colonial rule. "India is not only a democratic nation but also the mother of democracy," Modi said.
"This is not just a building... this is the temple of democracy that gives the world a message of India's determination."
The unveiling was preceded by a multi-faith prayer ceremony and Modi later entered the chamber accompanied by a posse of chanting Hindu seers in saffron robes before installing a ceremonial sceptre.
He later re-entered the chamber to chants of "Modi Modi" by government lawmakers.
Nineteen opposition parties boycotted the event because Modi, and not Indian President Droupadi Murmu, was inaugurating the new chamber, calling it a "direct assault on our democracy".
Modi "has relentlessly hollowed out" parliament, with opposition lawmakers "disqualified, suspended and muted" and laws passed "with almost no debate", a statement by the parties said. — afp, pti