THE BJP on Thursday alleged that the Opposition parties have decided to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi just because it has been built at his initiative. Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the new building is a symbol of India’s pride and appealed to the Opposition parties to attend the “historic day” of its inauguration on May 28 by showing a “big heart”.

“We all respect the President, I don’t want to drag the post of the President into any controversy today by recalling what Congress said about her. But India’s Prime Minister is also an important part of Parliament. The Prime Minister also holds constitutional responsibility,” he told reporters. Prasad urged the Opposition leaders not to use the boycott of the event as a platform to forge Opposition unity, saying they will have more opportunities to do so. “Mughals built Lal Qila, Jama Masjid and Humayun’s Tomb. Qutub-ud-din Aibak built Qutub Minar, they claim. The British built North Block, South Block, President House which was called Viceroy House, and a Sansad Bhawan,” Prasad said, and asked “What did we built in 75 years of Independence?”

“After 75 five years of independence, why India should not get a Parliament built by Indians,” he added. Prasad said the new Parliament building is an “exemplary model” of Indian Vaastu Kala (architecture) and it has been built according to Indian ‘sanskar’. “I would say to the Congress leaders and other Opposition leaders that you come and attend the programme. Sansad (Parliament) is the crown of the country’s democracy,” he said.