Mounting a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government for not “inviting” President Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate the new Parliament building, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on May 22 said that the President of India, being the highest Constitutional authority, alone represents the government, the Opposition, and the citizens alike.
Following up on Mr. Kharge’s comments, senior leader Anand Sharma later addressed a press conference at the Congress headquarters and asserted that it was “constitutionally improper” for the government to leave out the President, who heads the Parliament, including both Houses of Parliament.
Earlier, in a series of tweets, Mr. Kharge said the inauguration of the new Parliament building by President Murmu would “symbolise Government’s commitment to Democratic values and Constitutional propriety.”
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The Congress President accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of reducing the President’s office to “mere tokenism” and “only for electoral reasons”.
“It looks like the Modi government has ensured election of President of India from the Dalit and the tribal communities only for electoral reasons. While former President, Mr. Kovind, was not invited for the New Parliament foundation laying ceremony, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, is not being invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament Building,” Mr. Kharge said.
“The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India, and the President of India is its highest Constitutional authority. She alone represents government, opposition, and every citizen alike. She is the First Citizen of India,” he added.
During the foundation laying ceremony of the new Parliament, several Opposition parties had boycotted the ceremony since it was not the then President Kovind but Prime Minister Modi who had laid the foundation of the new building.
On May 28, Mr. Modi is slated to inaugurate the new Parliament building after he was invited to do so by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Alleging that the Modi government has “repeatedly” disrespected propriety, Mr. Kharge said, “The Office of the President of India is reduced to tokenism under the BJP-RSS Government.”
“It is constitutionally not correct to take a major decision about the Parliament of India by excluding the head of the Parliament from the decision-making, foundation laying and now from the inauguration. Article 79 makes it clear that the Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses. First the Permanent House/the Council of States or the Rajya Sabha and the House of the People or the Lok Sabha,” Mr. Sharma said, urging the government to rethink its decision.
Asked if the Congress plans to boycott the inauguration, Mr. Sharma said, “As of now, this is our stated position and the Congress president has made his statement through his tweets.”
On Sunday, former party chief Rahul Gandhi had tweeted, “The President should inaugurate the new Parliament House, not the Prime Minister!”
