PM Modi, LS Speaker should invite Prez Murmu: Rajasthan CM Gehlot's 'advice' amid row over new Parliament bldg inauguration

Ashok Gehlot, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan and a top Congress official, advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Speaker of the Lok Sabha Om Birla to consult one another about inviting President Droupadi Murmu to the inauguration of the Parliament building. Gehlot also asserted that it is "still not too late" to correct any "mistakes" the Centre may have made.

Inauguration not done with dignity

The CM claimed that the 'sudden' announcement of the inauguration was not done with dignity because structures like the new Parliament are only created once every almost 100 years.

A report in Hindustan Times quoted Gehlot asking about the emergency for which the inauguration is being rushed. He backed the call by Opposition parties to boycott the event.

Inaugural of the new Parliament building

On May 28, Prime Minister Modi is slated to inaugurate the new Parliament structure. Following the announcement, a dispute ensued as the opposition parties questioned the wisdom of having the Prime Minister inaugurate the new structure rather than the President. They argued that since President Droupadi Murmu is an essential member of Parliament, she should perform the honours.

Tharoor and Puri engage in a war of words

The opposition and the ruling BJP engaged in a verbal spat, with Congressman Shashi Tharoor criticising Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri's claim of alleged precedent over the past inaugurations of the Parliament annexe and library by Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi respectively.

Puri questioned the Opposition why it was wrong for the head of the government to inaugurate the Parliament. He questioned if the head of the previous Congress governments could inaugurate the library and annexe to the Parliament.

Tharoor responded by claiming that those structures were auxiliary and that PM Modi would be inaugurating a new Parliament that had been called and prorogued by the President of India.

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel joined the debate by saying that the Parliament was constructed when Britain was ruling India so it could not have been possible for Indira Gandhi to do so and that a different situation arises if a building's component is inaugurated. The President should inaugurate the new Parliament building, he stated.