President Should Inaugurate Parliament House, Not PM: Rahul Gandhi Echoes Opposition Leaders

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that the President should inaugurate the new Parliament building and not the prime minister.

Taking to Twitter, Gandhi said, "The President should inaugurate the new Parliament House and not the Prime Minister".

The inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28 coincides with the birth anniversary of Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar.

Several opposition leaders have already objected to to PM Modi inaugurating the new Parliament building citing that PM Modi is the head of the government and not the head of the legislature.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi asked why Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha chairman won't inaugurate it.

"Why should PM inaugurate Parliament? He is head of the executive, not legislature. We have separation of powers and honourable Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chair could have inaugurated. It's made with public money, why is PM behaving like his "friends" have sponsored it from their private funds?" Owaisi tweeted.

"26 November 2023- Indian Constitution which gifted parliamentary democracy to the nation shall step into 75th year which would've been befitting for inauguration of new Sansad Bhawan. But it shall be done on 28 May, birthday of Savarkar- How much relevant?" tweeted Trinamool MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray.

"A complete insult to all our Founding Fathers and Mothers. A total rejection of Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Bose, et al. A blatant repudiation of Dr. Ambedkar," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter.

"While the Prime Minister is the head of the government, the President is the head of the Indian state and not inviting her for the inauguration is a blatant insult and undermines her position," CPI general secretary D Raja said.

The new Parliament building can comfortably seat 888 members in the Lok Sabha chamber and 300 in the Rajya Sabha chamber, according to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

A total of 1,280 members can be accommodated in the Lok Sabha chamber during the joint sitting of both the Houses.