People least concerned whether Parliament building will be inaugurated by Prez or PM, says Azad

Rajouri/Jammu, May 27 (PTI) DPAP chief Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday said people are more concerned about problems like inflation and unemployment than whether the new Parliament building will be inaugurated by the President or the prime minister, accusing the opposition of making unnecessary noise over the issue.

As many as 19 opposition parties, including the Congress, Left, TMC, SP and AAP, have decided to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying sidelining President Droupadi Murmu is not only a “grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy, which demands a commensurate response”.

“I am surprised (over the decision of the opposition) as there are hundreds of issues which are linked to the public. But they do not raise such issues and what they are raising is not connected with people,” Azad told PTI here.

The Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief said the people are least concerned about who is going to inaugurate the new parliament building. “What impact it will have on the health of the people whether the new building is inaugurated by the President or the prime minister.”

Azad, who left the Congress last year to float his own party, said his suggestion to the opposition leaders is not to raise issues that impact their personality.

“People do not have any interest in your personality as they are more concerned about their problems like inflation and unemployment. The opposition does not go for strike or boycott on such issues,” he said.

He said the prime minister laid the foundation of the new parliament building and if he inaugurated it, “what we have to do with it”.

“Rashtrapati or prime minister have to decide on this, rather than the opposition,” he added.

Azad took a dig at the opposition for making it an issue and said chief ministers are doing inauguration in states instead of governors.

“All those who have joined hands see how they are treating the governors. Let them pass a law that henceforth all inaugurations will be done by the governors,” he said.

Supporting Modi for the new Parliament building, Azad said it was the need of the hour and he fails to understand why the opposition is making so much noise over it.

“They should have been happy as they themselves have failed to do so over the years and if someone else has done it he should be welcomed,” he said

“Our ideology did not match with Modi and BJP but if someone is doing good work we should acknowledge it. They have also done bad things like what they did to our state (Jammu and Kashmir). They abrogated Article 370, bifurcated the erstwhile state and are now taking away land from people,” Azad said.