Building opening: Puri says Cong ‘lacks national spirit’

The political dispute surrounding the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued on Tuesday, as Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri criticized the Congress party for allegedly lacking “national spirit and sense of pride” in India’s progress. In response, the Opposition party accused Puri of attempting to “obfuscate and dissimulate.”

During a press briefing, Puri highlighted that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had inaugurated the Parliament Annexe building on October 24, 1975, while her successor Rajiv Gandhi had laid the foundation of the parliament library on August 15, 1987. These historical events were mentioned in the context of the ongoing controversy over the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

#WATCH | In August 1975, then PM Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Annexe, and later in 1987 PM Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Library. If your (Congress) head of government can inaugurate them, why can’t our head of government do the same?: Union Minister Hardeep… pic.twitter.com/syv8SXGwIS— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

“If your head of government can inaugurate Parliament annexe and library then why can’t the head of the government of this time do? It’s as simple as that,” he said. Puri’s remarks came a day after the Congress accused the government of disrespecting constitutional propriety and demanded that President Droupadi Murmu inaugurate the new Parliament building, instead of Modi.

Hitting back at Puri, senior Congress leader Manish Tewari Tuesday alleged that the minister is trying to “obfuscate and dissimulate”. “Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, I am afraid, is trying to obfuscate and dissimulate. There is a difference between an annexe to the Parliament, library and a new Parliament building,” he said in a tweet.

“Chairperson of the Council of States Vice President of India is also conspicuous by his absence on the invitation card,” he added. Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building on May 28 following an invitation by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

In a series of tweets on Monday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had raised objection to President Murmu not being invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament Building, saying the Parliament is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India, and the President of India is its highest Constitutional authority. “It looks like the Modi government has ensured the election of President of India from the dalit and the tribal communities only for electoral reasons,” he had also charged.

With inputs from News18

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