Unfair, Says BSP's Mayawati On Opposition Boycott Of Parliament Building

BSP president Mayawati on Thursday called the opposition parties' boycott of the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ''unfair'' as she welcomed the forthcoming opening.

The Bahujan Samaj Party chief said she will not be attending the inauguration on May 28 due to some other commitments, even though she has received an invitation. "I welcome the inauguration of the new Parliament building. It is a matter of pride for the country. However, I find it unfair that the opposition parties are boycotting the inauguration," Mayawati said in a statement.

In a series of tweets, the BSP supremo said, ''Be it the government of Congress party or now the BJP at the centre, the BSP has always supported them on issues related to the country and public interest. Rising above party politics and looking at it in this context, the party also supported the inauguration of the new building of the parliament on May 28, it is welcomed.''

She also said the opposition parties' insistence that the new building be inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu was unfair.

''The government has made it, so it has the right to inaugurate it. It is also unfair to link this with the respect of a tribal woman. They should have thought of this while fielding a candidate against her instead of electing her unopposed,'' she said.

''I have received the invitation for the programme dedicated to the country, that is, the inauguration ceremony of the new parliament building for which I thank and extend my best wishes. But due to my pre-scheduled engagement regarding the continuous review meetings of the party, I will not be able to attend the function,'' she said.

The opposition parties in a joint statement on Wednesday had said that Modi's decision to inaugurate the new Parliament building himself was a grave insult and direct assault on Indian democracy.

The opening of the newly-built Parliament building is set to take place on Sunday (May 28) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the same.

As many as 19 opposition parties, including the Congress, Left, TMC, SP and AAP, came together on Wednesday and announced their decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying they find no value in a new building when the ''soul of democracy has been sucked out''.

The Opposition parties have said the prime minister's decision to inaugurate the building by himself, "completely sidelining President Droupadi Murmu, is not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate response".