President is the head of the Republic: Kapil Sibal slams govt

Amid the raging row over the inauguration of the new Parliament building Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday said the absence of the president in the ceremonial event would amount to devaluing the ethos of our RepublicSibals attack on the government comes a day after as many as 20 opposition parties announced their decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra ModiIn a tweet Sibal said Inauguration of the new Parliament building Parliament symbolises our Republic The President is the head of the Republic The absence of the President in this ceremonial event amounts to devaluing the ethos of our Republic Does the government careInauguration of the new Parliament buildingParliament symbolises our Republic The President is the head of the Republic The absence of the President in this ceremonial event amounts to devaluing the ethos of our Republic Does the government care mdash Kapil Sibal KapilSibal May 25 2023Sibal who was a Union minister during UPA 1 and 2 had quit the Congress in May last year and was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent member with the Samajwadi Partys support Sibal recently floated a nonelectoral platform Insaaf aimed at fighting injusticeAlso Read New Parliament building first of its kind existing one was a council hall says Devendra FadnavisNineteen Opposition parties including the Congress Left TMC SP and AAP came together to jointly announce the boycott saying they find no value in a new building when the soul of democracy has been sucked out Separately AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said if Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla does not inaugurate the new Parliament building his party would not attendAfter the Opposition boycott call the BJPled National Democratic Alliance had also launched a sharp counterattack calling the opposition stand a blatant affront to democratic ethos and constitutional values of our great nationThe 19 Opposition parties in their joint statement said Prime Minister Modis decision to inaugurate the new Parliament building by himself completely sidelining President Droupadi Murmu is not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate responsePrime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will dedicate to the nation the new Parliament building on May 28The new Parliament building will enable 888 members to sit in the Lok SabhaPrime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament Building on December 10 2020 It has been built in record time with quality constructionIn the present building of the Parliament there is a provision for the sitting of 543 Members in the Lok Sabha and 250 in the Rajya Sabha Keeping in view the future requirements arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 384 members in the Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building of the Parliament The joint session of both Houses will be held in the Lok Sabha chamberWith inputs from PTI