The new Parliament building, which was under construction in New Delhi, will be inaugurated on May 28. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will lead the ceremony, according to reports.
According to a news agency, the inauguration ceremony will be held in two phases. The event will start with a ritual in a pandal. Thereafter, dignitaries will examine the premises of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha chambers in the new building. The ceremony’s second leg will start at noon with the national anthem in the chamber of the lower house.
The revered ‘Sengol’ will be installed in the Lok Sabha chamber next to the Speaker’s chair. For the unversed, ‘Sengol’, is a historical sceptre from Tamil Nadu. It’s recorded that India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru used it as a symbol to represent the transfer of power from the British. It was kept in a museum in Allahabad. It learnt that the priests from Tamil Nadu, including the jeweller who designed it, will be present.
Among the other points mentioned in the itinerary, Deputy Rajya Sabha Chairman, Hariwansh, will deliver a speech and read a message on behalf of Rajya Sabha, Chairman, Jagdeep Dhankar.
Additionally, a written message by the President Droupadi Murmu will also be read out on Sunday.
The PM will release a coin and stamp and deliver a speech on the occasion. The ceremony will end with a Vote of Thanks by the Secretary-General Lok Sabha.
Many eminent personalities such as the chief architect of the Parliament building Bimal Patel, industrialist Ratan Tata and a host of film stars and sports personalities have been invited.
Even though the opposition has called for a boycott, the Centre has reportedly confirmed a list of 25 political parties for the event.
Biju Janata Dal, Janata Dal-Secular, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), Republican Party of India, YSRCP, Shiv Sena, NPP, NPF and TDP will be present for the inauguration.
The ruling party says the building symbolises the spirit of self-reliant India.
The present building of the Parliament, completed in 1927, is almost 100 years old. Lack of space and a general absence of convenient arrangements for the sitting of the MPs led to the project of a new Parliament building.
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