Not inviting President for inauguration of new Parliament building is worrisome: Raut

Mumbai, May 23 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said that not inviting President Droupadi Murmu for inaugurating the new Parliament building is “concerning” as well as “laughable”.

Talking to reporters, Raut also said there was no need for a new Parliament building in the first place, as the existing one could have lasted for another 100 years.

“Political avarice” motivated the Narendra Modi government’s ambitious Central Vista project in New Delhi, the Rajya Sabha member said.

“The President is the head of Parliament and also custodian of democracy. And if the President is not invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament building, then it is not only concerning, but also laughable,” he said.

“The President must inaugurate the new Parliament building. Prime Minister and the Speaker come later in protocol. But this is being done for elections,” Raut claimed.

Prime Minister Modi is slated to inaugurate the new Parliament building on May 28 following an invitation by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

Raut said there are some other parliament buildings in the world which are older than the Indian Parliament, including the ones of Italy, Germany and Britain, and they are still functioning well.

“But only for political avarice and (to claim) that I (Modi) created history and a new Delhi, a new parliament building is being constructed by splurging lakhs and crores of ruees,” he said.
The President’s post has been insulted in the last nine years, Raut said.