Tendency to ‘hog the limelight’: TMC’s dig at PM Modi over Parliament inauguration

The Trinamool Congress said the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the installation of the historic Sengol in the Lok Sabha chamber Sunday showed the tendency of the PM to “hog the entire limelight” during such a solemn occasion.

The TMC, along with several opposition parties, boycotted the event over the prime minister and not the president inaugurating the building.

The Trinamool Congress was among the first parties to announce that it was staying away from Sunday's inauguration.

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Taking strong exception to "these aberrations by BJP government at Centre,", TMC Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sukhendu Sekhar Roy told PTI "holding of some religious rituals at the inauguration of Parliament also goes against the Preamble of the Indian Constitution which describes it as a secular, socialist and democratic republic."

Referring to the installation of the Sengol, before which the PM had prostrated, and sought blessings from high priests of various adheenams in Tamil Nadu with the holy sceptre in hand, Roy said "We are a prajatantra (Republic), not a Rajtantra (Monarchy). Why should then the Sengol be installed in the temple of democracy?"

The lone CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP from West Bengal, Bikash Bhattacharya, claimed that the inaugural ceremony of the new Parliament building became a ceremonial affair to practice and spread Hindu religious faith and rituals which is “against the basic concept of the Constitution”.

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The Constitution begins with the words "We the people of India and there is no indication of any religion in it', Bhattacharya said.  

Pointing out that the new Parliament building was conceptualised with the idea that the old parliament does not have sufficient space, the CPI(M) MP told PTI, "But unfortunately the inauguration of the new building under Narendra Modi's leadership has become a ceremonial affair to practise and spread Hindu religious faith and rituals, which is against the basic concept of the Indian Constitution."

He said that the foundation of the Indian government is the Indian Constitution having specific goals and objectives and whoever gets elected takes an oath to faithfully implement the objectives.

Reacting to the criticisms, BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh told PTI, opposition parties such as the TMC had shown scant regard for Droupadi Murmu, a representative of the backward community, during the presidential election and was “now shedding crocodile tears” for her.

"The new Parliament building has been fittingly inaugurated by a public figure like Narendra Modi, who is the representative of 130 crore Indians. The opposition like TMC, by showing their aversion to the popular PM, is insulting people of this country," the Medinipur MP said.

He said the rituals before the inauguration reflected the rich heritage of the country which the opposition parties like TMC want to ignore as "they are proud of their ancestors who were influenced by ideals imported from the West”.

“The opposition had taken the country away from its past and heritage during its rule, it is the BJP which has made the young generation aware of our past while embracing modern education, technology and way of thinking. The sooner the TMC understands it, the better. But the Trinamool Congress itself will be nowhere in the coming days," the BJP leader said.