Supreme Court hears argument over new parliament building; plea asks for President’s inauguration
“The President has the authority to call a special session of either House of Parliament and prorogue it, as well as dissolve the Lok Sabha,” the petition claims.
The SC received a petition concerning the inauguration of the new Parliament
A petition asking the Supreme Court to order the Lok Sabha Secretariat to arrange for the President of India to inaugurate the new Parliament building has been filed.
The argument made in the petition, submitted by attorney CR Jaya Sukin, is that by barring the President from the inaugural ceremony, the Indian government has “broke the Indian Constitution and displayed an insufficient regard for it.”
The President has the authority to call a special session
“The highest governing body in India is the Parliament. The President, the two Houses, the Council of States, and the Lok Sabha make up this body. The President has the authority to call a special session of either House of Parliament and prorogue it, as well as dissolve the Lok Sabha,” the petition claims.
Why was the President excluded from the foundation-laying ceremony and is currently not a part of the inauguration if the President is a crucial component of Parliament? This demonstrates wrongdoing and deprivation on the part of the respondents towards the citizens of the country,” the plea continues.
Rahul Gandhi Slams the PM with “Bricks of Ego”
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, claimed on Wednesday that constitutional values, not “bricks of ego,” are what construct Parliament and that refusing to allow President Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate the new Parliament building or invite her to the ceremony would be an “insult” to the position of the nation’s highest constitutional office.
Along with Gandhi, other prominent members of the Congress condemned the government for PM Modi’s May 28 inauguration of the new Parliament building.
Gandhi tweeted in Hindi, “Neither inviting the President to the ceremony nor getting her to inaugurate the legislature would be a mockery to the nation’s highest constitutional position.” Gandhi said, “Constitutional values, not bricks of ego, are the building blocks of parliament.”
Parliament has lost its democratic soul
Nineteen opposition parties, including the Congress, AAP, TMC, and Left, had previously declared their intention to abstain from the ceremony, arguing that there is no point in dedicating a new structure when Parliament has lost its democratic soul.
The Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla invited Modi to inaugurate the new Parliament building on May 28.
The parties attacked Modi, claiming that, “he had a history of hollowing out Parliament and committing undemocratic acts. When they brought up the concerns of the Indian people, opposition members of parliament were disqualified, suspended, and muted. Parliament has been disturbed by members of the Treasury benches.” According to the parties, “The three farm laws, among other divisive pieces of legislation, were approved with hardly any debate, and parliamentary committees were all but rendered useless.”
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