HD Kumaraswamy, former chief minister of Karnataka and leader of the Janata Dal (Secular), slams the Congress party for announcing a boycott of the opening ceremony of the new Parliament building in the national capital.
He further claimed that the Congress party is merely opposing the Parliament inauguration to garner a few votes from a small group of individuals. The Congress party claims that the BJP administration at the centre has disrespected the Adivasi community by not inviting President Droupadi Murmu to the new parliament building’s inaugural event.
The grand old party also called for a nationwide protest and rejected their attendance at the inauguration. Responding to the Congress’ charges of disrespecting the Adivasi people, Kumaraswamy stated, “By calling for a boycott, the Congress party is simply creating a political threat.”
The senior JDS leader further stated that the Congress is merely looking for a small number of votes. “All these are attempts to get a few votes from a certain community and even Congress is aware of its hypocrisy. I wanted to ask them if the boycott is only restricted to the inauguration or will they even boycott the parliament sessions in near future?” Kumaraswamy asked.
On 28 May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will dedicate the new Parliament building. A total of 25 political parties have confirmed their attendance at the event. AIADMK, Apna Dal, Republican Party of India, Shiv Sena Shinde faction, NPP, and NPF are among the few NDA parties to participate.
The Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Trinamool Congress, and other parties issued a joint statement on Wednesday, calling PM Modi’s decision to inaugurate the new Parliament a “assault on democracy.”