'Ridiculous reasons': Devendra Fadnavis on opposition parties' call for boycott

The Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis Wednesday said that the opposition is suffering from the ldquofeverrdquo of ModihatredFadnavis also a BJP leader was commenting on the announcement by the Congress and 19 other parties to boycott the inauguration of the new parliament building by Modi on May 28On Wednesday nineteen opposition parties led by the Congress announced their decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28 saying Prime Minister Narendra Modirsquos decision to inaugurate it himself and ldquocompletely sideliningrdquo President Droupadi insults the high office of the President and violates the letter and spirit of the Constitution This was unacceptable the parties addedldquoIt is unfair to look at such events with a jaundiced outlook The new parliament building is the pride of this country The reasons given by those who are not going to attend the inaugural ceremony of the new temple of democracy are ridiculousrdquo Fadnavis told reporters in Mumbai ldquoThe opposition is suffering from a fever of hatred for Modi he addedThe new parliament building was constructed in a short period which demonstrated the countrys might he saidThe parties said in a joint statement said that the inauguration of a new Parliament building is a momentous occasion ldquoDespite our belief that the government is threatening democracy and our disapproval of the autocratic manner in which the new Parliament was built we were open to sinking our differences and marking this occasion However Prime Minister Modirsquos decision to inaugurate the new Parliament building by himself completely sidelining President Murmu is not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate responserdquoAmong the signatories of the statement are the Congress the Trinamool Congress TMC the DMK the Janata Dal United the Aam Aadmi Party AAP the Nationalist Congress Party NCP Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray the Communist Party of India Marxist the Samajwadi Party SP the Rashtriya Janata Dal RJD the Communist Party of India CPI the Muslim League the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha JMM the National Conference the Kerala Congress M the Revolutionary Socialist Party RSP the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MDMK the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi VCK and the Rashtriya Lok Dal RLDThe parties said Article 79 of the Constitution of India states ldquoThere shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the Council of States and the House of the PeoplerdquoAlso readAll records will be broken in 2024 Lok Sabha elections under PM Modis leadership Maharashtra CM Eknath ShindeThey added in the statement ldquoThe President is not only the Head of State in India but also an integral part of the Parliament She summons prorogues and addresses the Parliament She must assent for an Act of Parliament to take effect In short the Parliament cannot function without the President Yet the Prime Minister has decided to inaugurate the new Parliament building without her This undignified act insults the high office of the President and violates the letter and spirit of the Constitution It undermines the spirit of inclusion which saw the nation celebrate its first woman Adivasi PresidentrdquoThe parties said that ldquoundemocratic acts are not new to the Prime Minister who has relentlessly hollowed out the ParliamentrdquoldquoOpposition Members of Parliament have been disqualified suspended and muted when they raised the issues of the people of India MPs from the Treasury benches have disrupted Parliament Many controversial legislations including the three farm laws have been passed with almost no debate and Parliamentary Committees have been practically made defunctrdquo they saidldquoThe new Parliament building has been built at great expense during a onceinacentury pandemic with no consultation with the people of India or MPs for whom it is apparently being built When the soul of democracy has been sucked out from the Parliament we find no value in a new building We announce our collective decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building We will continue to fight mdash in letter in spirit and in substance mdash against this authoritarian Prime Minister and his government and take our message directly to the people of Indiardquo read the statement