Nineteen opposition parties vow to skip Parliament opening

Nineteen opposition parties announced on Wednesday that they would boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on 28 May, arguing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to open the building instead of President Droupadi Murmu was an “assault on democracy".

 

In a joint statement, the 19 parties, which together control 11 state governments, said the President was not only the head of the State but an integral part of Parliament, which cannot function without her. Therefore, Modi’s decision to inaugurate the new building undermined the office of the President and violated the letter and spirit of the Constitution, they argued.

“When the soul of democracy has been sucked out from Parliament, we find no value in a new building. We announce our collective decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building. We will continue to fight -- in letter, in spirit, and in substance -- against this authoritarian Prime Minister and his government, and take our message directly to the people of India," the statement said.