Congress leader KC Venugopal slammed the inauguration of new Parliament by PM Modi, and took a dig at why the President didn't take the lead in the ceremony. He alleged the reason the case a deliberate exclusion due to the "upper caste, anti-backward mindset of the RSS." Saying so, he traced back to the days when the foundation stone was laid for the new Parliament and how then President Ramnath Kovind was kept away from the ceremony.
Dark day for democracy
Speaking to reporters in Kerala, Venugopal said, "Today is a dark day for parliamentary democracy. Has the ruling BJP given any reason for keeping the President and Vice President of India away from this function?"
"At the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new Parliament building, then Hon’ble President Sh. Ramnath Kovind was kept away from the ceremony. At its inauguration, President Droupadi Murmu has been sidelined," the leader said in a tweet on Sunday.
The Congress leader no sooner claimed why the two Presidents were kept away from the historic events. He said, "It is the upper caste, anti-backward mindset of the RSS because of which they are denied the respect that their high constitutional office deserves. Their deliberate exclusion shows PM Modi will use them as tokens for his electoral politics, but will not allow them to be part of such significant and historic occasions."
Check tweet below
He calls inauguration by PM Modi a MISTAKE
In a report by news agency ANI, the Congress leader was quoted as saying, This function (Parliament building inauguration) is being carried out in violation of the constitutional values and principles. The inauguration of the new Parliament building by the PM was also a mistake that should never have been made in a country like India."
20 Opposition parties boycotted the event
Twenty Opposition parties boycotted the opening of the new Parliament building stating that the inauguration of the building without President Droupadi Murmu "insults the high office of the President, and violates the letter and spirit of the Constitution".
