Battle lines drawn as opposition skips swearing-in

NEW DELHI: Amid the pomp and show of the swearing-in ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Opposition was conspicuous by its absence, in an indication of the growing chill between the Opposition and the ruling establishment ahead of Parliament’s monsoon session.

No one from any Opposition party was present at the event in which 20 ministers took oath in the presence of the ruling side and other dignitaries.

Congress, the principal Opposition party, virtually boycotted the event as many leaders were invited, according to sources. The party, however, defended its decision to not attend the function.

“The Congress president and vice-president had attended the function when the Prime Minister took oath. But they don’t have to go each time a cosmetic expansion takes place for political expediency,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

During the UPA regime, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit would occupy one of the front rows but current CM Arvind Kejriwal, whose Aam Aadmi Party is locked in a bitter battle with both the BJP and the Congress, chose to give Tuesday’s function a miss.

The battle lines are drawn between the Congress and the BJP over the GST bill and other issues for the monsoon session of Parliament that starts from July 18. The Congress, did not spare its rival even on the day 19 new ministers entered the Union council and one minister was elevated to the cabinet rank.