Modi inaugurates new parliament building amid criticism DW 28/05/2023

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a grand new parliamentary complex in New Delhi on Sunday.

“As the new Indian Parliament building is inaugurated, our hearts and minds are filled with pride, hope and promise. May this iconic building be a cradle of empowerment, igniting dreams and making them a reality,” wrote Modi on Twitter. “May he propel our great nation to new heights of progress.”

He held traditional Hindu prayers outside the compound in a ceremony which was also attended by senior cabinet ministers. He then lit a traditional lamp inside the parliament.

The government has also launched a special 75 rupee coin to mark the opening of the $145 billion (135.12 million) resort.

It stands next to the Old Parliament Building built by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker in 1927, two decades before India’s independence. The heritage building will now be transformed into a museum.

The grand opening ceremony comes a year before the controversial 2024 national elections. Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third term in office.

Boycotts and protests

More than 20 opposition parties boycotted the event, saying Modi broke protocol to inaugurate the new complex and attract attention when it should have been done by President Draupadi Murmu, who is the ceremonial leader of the state.

“Opening a new parliament without the opposition does not mean there is democracy in the country. It is an incomplete event,” Supriya Sule, an opposition leader, told the news agency. ANI press.

The leader of the opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, wrote on Twitter: “Parliament is the voice of the people. The Prime Minister regards the inauguration of Parliament as a crowning achievement.”

Meanwhile, Indian police arrested several wrestlers, including Olympic medalists, who were protesting near the complex and allegedly tried to enter the building.

They have been protesting in various places since last month, demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan Singh, the head of the wrestling federation and a member of the BJP, on allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation.

Sakshi Malik, an Indian wrestler who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, was arrested by police during a protest near the Indian parliament Image: Altaf Qadri/AP Photo/picture allianceWhy India has there a new parliament?

Modi kicked off the construction of the new parliament amid the 2020 COVID lockdown, saying the old structure is “highly stretched” for a number of reasons including capacity, infrastructure, technology and security.

The spending on the building, at the time, was met with apprehension amid the loss of lives and livelihoods during the pandemic.

However, the Prime Minister said the new building would “become a witness to the creation of a self-reliant India”.

The new parliament has a total of 1,272 seats divided into two chambers, nearly 500 more than the old parliament could hold.

The complex, which is at least three times the size of the old parliament, has four floors and halls decorated with national symbols such as the peacock, banyan tree and lotus, as well as murals and artwork by all the countries.

Image: Indian Press Information Bureau/REUTERS Why is it controversial?

Sunday’s launch comes in the shadow of several controversies courted by the government.

The new parliament is part of a $2.4 billion ($2.24 billion) Central Vista project, under which Modi has been steadily changing the face of central Delhi. The government has described the change as an effort to reflect India’s heritage in its significant buildings.

However, critics say the project only looks at Hindu heritage and erases other important chapters in the country’s history. It is widely seen as an attempt to bolster his brand of nationalism and create a personal legacy.

Since 2014, the BJP government has remodeled several buildings, installed monuments honoring Hindu figures who challenged Mughal Muslim rulers and changed the names of British roads to ones of Hindu significance.

The new building plan has also drawn objections from conservationists and city planners who say it will erase the city’s character.

“The decision to build a new parliament building was abrupt and there was no transparency, probity and frugality in the whole process,” said AG Krishna Menon, architect and conservation consultant.

Some politicians have also questioned the date of the inauguration, which coincides with the birthday of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, a prominent Hindu ideologue who mentored Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin.

Why some in India admire Mahatma Gandhi’s killer

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mk/fb (Reuters, AP, AFP)

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