‘Golden moment’ for India as Narendra Modi inaugurates new parliament building

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated New Delhi’s new parliament building in what he said was a reflection of a new India.

The inauguration began early in the morning with elaborate Hindu rituals followed by a multi-faith ceremony attended by around 60 clerics from various other faiths including Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism, Judaism and Buddhism. .

I congratulate the citizens of the country on this golden moment, Modi said later during his maiden speech in the new legislature building.

It’s not just a building but a symbol of 1.4 billion people, their expectations and their dreams. It is the temple of our democracy,

New patterns are created only by walking new paths. This new parliament will become the witness of the rise of an autonomous India.

India’s Prime Minister Modi inaugurates new parliament building

MPs from 25 parties gathered in the new building for the afternoon speech. Speaker of the Lok Sabha Om Birla and Harivansh Narayan Singh, Deputy Speaker of the Rajya Sabha, the lower and upper houses of parliament, also spoke.

Former President Ram Nath Kovind, Supreme Court justices and several foreign diplomats were also present.

Nineteen opposition parties, including the Congress party, boycotted the event to protest against Mr Modi’s decision to inaugurate the new building himself. They said President Draupadi Murmu should have been asked to do so as head of state.

Neither Ms. Murmu nor Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar were present at the ceremony, but their speeches were read by Mr. Singh.

The morning ceremony also sparked controversy over Mr Modi’s installation of a 1.5-meter golden scepter called Sengol in the Lok Sabha chamber.

The government said the scepter was presented by Britain to India’s first post-independence prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to mark the transfer of power in 1947.

Opposition parties have questioned this, saying it was given to Nehru by a religious institution in the southern city of Madras, now Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

It was kept in a museum in Prayagraj along with other Nehru-related items and a labeled cane.

Opposition parties have also questioned the need to install a symbol of the monarchy in the parliament of the world’s largest democracy.

Dismissing the controversy, Mr Modi said the Sengol was chosen because it symbolizes justice, righteousness and good governance.

It is our luck to have been able to restore the dignity of our sacred Sengol. It will inspire us all, he said.

Short films were shown on the Sengol, the history of the Indian parliament and the new building. Mr Modi also launched a 75 rupee commemorative coin and a postage stamp.

The new Parliament Building is a triangular structure spread over 65,000 square meters. It will replace the circular Parliament built 94 years ago by the British.

Mr Modi laid the foundation stone for the new building in December 2020, saying it was a historic opportunity to build a people’s parliament for the first time after independence.

The old building will be transformed into a museum.

The government said the new parliament makes optimum use of space and includes larger halls, a modern library, refurbished offices and committee rooms with state-of-the-art facilities.

Take a look inside the new Indian parliament building

It has been decorated with hand-knotted carpets woven by 900 artisans from Mirzapur in the state of Uttar Pradesh, bamboo flooring from the state of Tripura and stone carvings from the state of Rajasthan.

The Lok Sabha, the 545-seat lower house of the Indian parliament, will have a capacity of 888 seats, while the Rajya Sabha, the upper house, will have a capacity of 384 seats from the current 250.

The new parliament is part of Mr Modis’ $2.8 billion Central Vista redevelopment project to replace buildings in Delhi that once served as the seat of power for Britain’s rulers.

The project has been criticized by opposition parties, historians, architects and former bureaucrats who say it is an attempt to erase institutional memories and historic buildings.

It includes a new, multi-billion dollar Prime Minister’s Residence.

Fresh criticism has been leveled at the government over the high cost of the project and its priorities after it was launched during the Covid-19 pandemic at a time when people were struggling to get oxygen cylinders and be admitted to hospitals overcrowded.

Updated: May 28, 2023, 1:41 p.m.