SC Declines Plea Seeking Inauguration Of New Parliament By President

The Supreme Court has junked a plea seeking a direction that the new Parliament building be inaugurated by the President of India and not the Prime Minister.

The plea was rejected after a Vacation Bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and PS Narasimha expressed their disinclination to entertain the plea filed by advocate C R Jaya Kukin. The petition was filed as withdrawn.

"What is your interest?", the Bench asked the petitioner.

The petitioner responded by saying, "The head of the executive is the President... President is my president."

We don't understand why you come with such petitions...we're not interested in entertaining it under Article 32", the Bench said.

The petitioner then referred to Article 79 of the Constitution of India which says that the Parliament of India comprises the President and two Houses.

"How is Article 79 related to the inauguration?", the Bench asked.

"President is the head of the parliament, he should open the building. Executive head is the only head who should open," the petitioner said, while citing Article87 which says that the Parliament session commences with a special address by the President of India. The Bench however wondered as to how this provision is connected to the inauguration.

The Bench seemingly was not convinced with the arguments by the petitioner. Before it was rejected the petitioner withdrew the plea.

Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta said that the petitioner should not be allowed to withdraw the petition as he will file the same plea in the High Court. The petitioner however said that he has no plans of approaching the High Court and that he was withdrawing the plea so that the dismissal would not become a certificate to the executive.

The Bench recorded in the order that the petitioner, after arguing for sometime chose to withdraw the petition as the court was not inclined to entertain the matter.