On Saturday, yoga guru Baba Ramdev expressed his views on the row over the new Parliament building which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28. Several opposition parties have jointly decided to boycott the opening ceremony as it is to be inaugurated by the prime minister instead of President Droupadi Murmu. Condemning the boycott decision, Baba Ramdev asked the parties to rethink over the decision.
"It is a historic moment to witness this (inauguration of the new Parliament building). It is an opportunity for every citizen to respect and honour democracy along with the country's unity, integrity, and culture," he said adding that boycotting the event is an insult to those who struggled for India's independence.
He told ANI, "More than five lakh martyrs sacrificed their lives for the country's independence. It is an insult to democracy, government, and freedom fighters if one boycotts the inauguration of new Parliament building."
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While 20 opposition parties have decided to boycott the event, seven non-National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties, along with the 18 NDA members, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), will reportedly be present at the ceremony.