Parliament temple of democracy, Oppn's inauguration row unnecessary, says former LS speaker Sumitra Mahajan

The Parliament is a temple of democracy and partisan politics should not be played over it, former Lok Sabha speaker and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sumitra Mahajan said on Friday amid the decision by several opposition parties to boycott the opening of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The ceremony to inaugurate the new Parliament building on Sunday will begin with an early morning havan and a multi-religion prayer followed by a formal opening in the Lok Sabha by the PM.

As many as 25 parties are expected to attend the inauguration of the new Parliament building on Sunday even as 20 opposition parties have decided to boycott the event.

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"I think MPs of opposition parties cannot (morally) oppose the new Parliament building. The opposition members who are opposing the inauguration of the new Parliament building used to often complain to me during my tenure as Lok Sabha Speaker (between 2014 and 2019) that they were finding it difficult to sit in the House due to lack of space," Mahajan told PTI.

Terming the controversy on who should inaugurate it as "unnecessary". Mahajan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an MP as well as Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha.

"Party politics should not be brought into every subject. We should rise above party politics on some occasions. The Parliament is the temple of democracy and we should look at the inauguration of the new Parliament House from this perspective," said Mahajan.

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The new Parliament complex can accommodate higher number of members and has enhanced facilities when compared to the old one, said Mahajan, who was Lok Sabha MP from Indore for eight consecutive terms between 1989 and 2019.

"In the old Parliament, some MPs were jokingly called pillar victims because their seat was right behind the pillars. That is why I used to allow them to come forward and speak in the House," the former speaker said.

Mahajan said she could not remember from which door to enter and from which to exit when she became MP for the first time in 1989, adding she had taken a picture of herself near a fountain in Vijay Chowk at the time so that the magnificent circular Parliament structure was visible in the background.