Modi lays foundation stone of new Parliament building

INDIAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building on Thursday, describing the event as a ‘milestone in India’s democratic history.’

Addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone and performing the ground-breaking ceremony, Modi urged the people to take a pledge to keep ‘India First’ and asserted that every decision should increase the strength of the country, whose interest is paramount.

Claiming that Indian democratic traditions predate the Magna Carta, a 13th century document many scholars consider as the framework for a modern republic, the prime minister said that the day is not far when the world will term India mother of democracy if Indians extol the country’s democratic history with confidence.

‘It is a very historic day. Today is a milestone in India’s democratic history... We, the people of India, will together build this new building of Parliament,’ Modi said, adding that the new building will be an inspiration when India will celebrate 75 years of its independence.

The making of the new Parliament building is an example of co-existence of the new with the old, he said.

‘I can never forget the moment in my life when I had the opportunity to come to Parliament House for the first time in 2014 as an MP. Before stepping in, I bowed and saluted this temple of democracy,’ Modi said.

‘The current Parliament building played an important role in pre and post independent India. The first government of an independent India was formed here and the first sitting of Parliament took place here, our Constitution was drafted here, our democracy was re-established. Babasaheb Ambedkar and others, after deep deliberations in the Central Hall, gave us a Constitution,’ he said.

Modi said the laws made inside this building and the debates that took place are a part of the country’s democratic heritage, but it is important to accept reality as this building is now nearly 100 years old and has been upgraded from time to time. But now it needs rest, the prime minister said.

If the old Parliament House gave direction to India post-independence, the new building would be a witness to the making of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), he said.