Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen on Wednesday echoed the same sentiments of the 19 opposition parties, and objected to the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but alleged that his party was not contacted by those who are against the event.
Without confirming whether the AIMIM will attend the ceremony or not, Owaisi said, “If Birla does not inaugurate the new Parliament, then we will skip the ceremony.”
However, when asked about if opposition parties had approached him, the Hyderabad MP replied, “They didn’t contact me. Probably because they think we are untouchable.”
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The opening of new Parliament by Modi has snowballed into a huge political row as opposition parties have demanded that President Droupadi Murmu, as the “highest Constitutional authority”, should be inaugurating it.
Earlier in the day, 19 opposition parties, led by the Congress, announced their decision to boycott the inauguration ceremony, saying, “When the soul of democracy has been sucked out Parliament, we find no value in a new building”.
Referring to the Constitution’s Article 79, the opposition parties said Murmu ‘is not only the Head of State but also an integral part of the Parliament’. “She summons, prorogues, and addresses the Parliament. She must assent for an Act of Parliament to take effect. In short, the Parliament cannot function without the president. Yet, the prime minister has decided to inaugurate the new Parliament building without her,” the opposition parties declared.
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Meanwhile, Union minister for parliamentary affairs Pralhad Joshi called upon the Opposition parties to reconsider their decision. “I once again appeal to them to reconsider their decision and kindly join in this historical function,” Joshi said.
