The new Parliament building in New Delhi has been a topic of controversy and opposition since its inception. The building is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Central Vista project, which aims to revamp the historic center of New Delhi. The project has a budget of $2.4 billion and includes the construction of a new Parliament building, a new residence for the Prime Minister, and new government offices.

The project aims to revamp the historic center of New Delhi, and one of its most prominent components is the construction of a new Parliament building. However, the project has faced opposition from various quarters, including political parties and environmental activists. As a result, several Public Interest Litigations (PILs) have been filed in the Supreme Court against the new Parliament building.

Opposition parties have criticized the project, arguing that it is a waste of money and that the government should prioritize spending on healthcare and education instead. They have also raised concerns about the environmental impact of the project and the displacement of residents in the area.

Several Public Interest Litigations (PILs) have been filed against the new Parliament building in the Supreme Court. One PIL sought directions from the Lok Sabha Secretariat and the Central government to inaugurate the new Parliament building by the President of India. However, the Supreme Court rejected this PIL, stating that it did not find any merit in it.

Opposition parties have also announced a boycott of the building's inauguration, which is scheduled to take place on May 28, 2023. The boycott includes 21 opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, AAP, AIMIM, and JD(U).

How opposition haunted New Parliament Building

Mar 2020 | Plea in supreme court against Central Vista for not notifying changes in Master Plan.

Jun 2020 | Plea in SC against Centra Vista accusing illegal change in land use.

Jul 2020 | Plea in SC seeking quashing of the approval to construct a new parliament.

Jul 2020 | Plea in SC against environment clearance granted for Central Vista project.

May 2021 | Plea in SC to stop construction during the pandemic.

Oct 2021 | Plea in SC to challenge the change in land use for a plot in Central Vista.

Nov 2021 | Plea in SC to stop Central Vista project saying construction work causing air pollution.

July 2022 | Plea in SC against State Emblem, Ashok Stambh, installed atop Central Vista.

May 2023 | Plea in SC against the inauguration of the New Parliament building by PM Modi.

The opposition tried their best to stop construction but SC cleared everything.

The new Parliament building in New Delhi has been a topic of controversy and opposition due to concerns about its cost, environmental impact, and displacement of residents in the area. Several PILs have been filed against the building in the Supreme Court, but one has already been rejected. Opposition parties have also announced a boycott of the building's inauguration.

One of the first PILs was filed by Rajeev Suri, a Delhi-based lawyer, in November 2020[1]. In his PIL, Suri argued that the project violated various laws and regulations, including the Delhi Development Act and the Master Plan of Delhi. He also raised concerns about the environmental impact of the project and the displacement of residents in the area. The Supreme Court admitted Suri's PIL and issued notices to the Central government and other stakeholders[2].

Another PIL was filed by environmental activist Vimlendu Jha in December 2020[3]. Jha's PIL focused on the environmental impact of the project and argued that it would lead to the destruction of trees and wildlife in the area. The Supreme Court admitted Jha's PIL and issued notices to the Central government and other stakeholders[4].

In January 2021, a PIL was filed by the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) against the new Parliament building. The DPCC argued that the project was a waste of public money and that the funds could be better utilized for healthcare and education. The Supreme Court admitted the DPCC's PIL and issued notices to the Central government and other stakeholders.

In February 2021, a group of former civil servants filed a PIL against the new Parliament building. The group argued that the project was a violation of the principles of democracy and that it would set a bad precedent for future governments. The Supreme Court admitted the PIL and issued notices to the Central government and other stakeholders.

Apart from these PILs, several other individuals and organizations have also challenged the new Parliament building in the Supreme Court. These include the Indian Institute of Architects, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), and the National Lawyers Campaign for Judicial Transparency and Reforms (NLCJTR).

The lawyers involved in these PILs include some of the most prominent names in the legal profession. Rajeev Suri, who filed the first PIL, is a senior advocate at the Supreme Court and charges a fee of around Rs. 5-7 lakh per appearance. Other lawyers involved in the PILs include Prashant Bhushan, who is known for his work on public interest litigation, and Dushyant Dave, who is the former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

In conclusion, the new Parliament building in New Delhi has faced opposition from various quarters, including political parties, environmental activists, and civil society organizations. Several PILs have been filed in the Supreme Court against the project, and the court has admitted most of them. The lawyers involved in these PILs include some of the most prominent names in the legal profession, and their fees range from a few lakhs to several lakhs per appearance.

New Parliament Inauguration row: ‘Eminent’ citizens write a letter against opposition boycott

The row over the decision to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the new Parliament building inauguration instead of President Droupadi Murmu has led to over 20 Opposition parties having boycotted and around 25 attending the event. Several BJP and Opposition leaders have entered a Twitter war due to the latter boycotting the event.

A Supreme Court lawyer CR Jaya Sukin on Thursday petitioned to direct the central government to invite President Murmu to the inauguration, arguing that keeping her out of the event would amount to humiliating the President. The hearing in the matter will be held on Friday.

The new parliament building is said to have magnificent artwork and a ceremonial sceptre ‘Sengol’ among other features. Costing ₹971 crores, the Central Vista Redevelopment Project’s website states that the new complex will be a symbol of India's progress and will be reflecting the "aspirations of the 135 crore Indians”. The triangular shape of the new parliament building is meant to ensure optimum space utilization, the website further stated.

A group of 270 eminent citizens, including former bureaucrats, ambassadors, and veterans, on May 26 condemned the Opposition for boycotting new Parliament building inauguration and claimed the "family-first" parties have come together to boycott all that represents India.

While it is a proud occasion for all Indians but opposition parties with their "skeletal arguments, immature, whimsy and hollow reasoning, and most of all flagrant display of non-democratic posturing, just don't get it", they said in a statement. 

A democratically elected prime minister of India who has inspired a billion Indians with his authenticity, inclusive policies, strategic vision, commitment to deliver, and most of all, his Indianness is "unpalatable to the Congress and other opposition parties", they added.

The signatories to the statement included 88 retired bureaucrats, 100 veterans, and 82 academicians. Former NIA director Y C Modi, former IAS officers R D Kapoor, Gopal Krishna, Samirendra Chatterjee, and Lingaya University Vice Chancellor Anil Roy Dubey are among those who have issued the joint statement.

They suggested that the government stands for "India First" while alleging that opposition parties promote a "family first brand of politics". How can the family-first driven parties reconcile to an India-first approach so they have come together to boycott all that represents India, the eminent citizens said.

Their statement alleged that it is the opposition parties which are "sucking the soul of democracy", a counter to the similar barb the Congress and other members of the Opposition had used against the government.

The statement noted that the number of times the Opposition has boycotted recent "non-partisan" events of Parliament is mind boggling.

In 2017, the Congress boycotted Parliament's mid-night session to launch the GST, a federal innovation and only of its kind in post-Independence India, they said, adding that these parties boycotted Lok Sabha in 2020 to support eight Rajya Sabha members suspended for "despicable unruly behaviour".

The statement cited similar other instances.

"The Opposition doesn't get that resorting to its modus operandi to hold placards and vociferous sloganeering, disrespecting the most important institutions of the country, and even using household items such as milk packets to show their protest is what is authoritarian and is what constitutes a grave insult, direct assault on our democracy," it said, using the phrases used by these parties against the government.

The Opposition boycotted President Droupadi Murmu's customary speech to the joint session of Parliament ahead of the Union Budget 2023 and one cannot forget the "heaps of insults" inflicted on her by this very Congress party whose member called her "Rashtrapatni", it said.

"The inauguration of Parliament building is a proud moment for the entire country. And, it is a matter of extreme despondency in the context of Indian democracy that the Congress, which calls itself the oldest political party, has decided to needlessly cry foul," the statement said.

In 2012, the then Speaker Meira Kumar observed that Parliament, with its cracks and absence of emergency measures, was "silently weeping", it noted, underscoring that the demand for having a new Parliament building is old.

"Now, do they (Opposition) think that the old building is bulging with efficient opulence? Maybe they do, because they just don't get it," it said.

Attacking the Congress, the statement alleged, "The nature of the present Congress has always been undemocratic and their hubris has always come in the way of the nation's progress. Of course, to expect any largesse of heart or soul or to be imbued simply by the pride of being an Indian is expecting too much of the Congress party." But what the Congress does not get along with its allies is that the Indian people understand it, the statement said.

"If only the Congress and its allies ponder deeper, they would get that it is not the soul of democracy that has been lost but that the Opposition's popularity which has been lost," it claimed.

"We resolve to stand by the country, stand by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As Indians. Just Indians," the signatories said.

As many as 19 opposition parties, including the Congress, Left, TMC, SP and AAP, on Wednesday announced their decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Modi, saying they find no value in a new building when the "soul of democracy has been sucked out".

New Parliament building will make every Indian proud: PM Modi, shares video of newly-constructed complex

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the new Parliament building will make every Indian proud, as he posted a video of the newly-constructed complex on Twitter and urged people to share it on the social media platform with the hashtag 'MyParliamentMyPride'.

Modi also urged people to share the video with their voiceover which he will retweet.

‘Pretty damn impressive’: Omar Abdullah reacts to new Parliament building video | National Conference leader Omar Abdullah seemed impressed with the new Parliament building after a detailed video showcasing the interior and exterior features was released on Friday, two days ahead of the inauguration ceremony. Omar Abdullah, the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, acknowledged the need for a new and improved Parliament building and said “this one looks pretty damn impressive.”

J-K leaders, activists extend support to PM Modi on new Parliament building's inauguration; Slam opposition boycott call | Slamming the opposition parties' call for boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several leaders and activists from Jammu and Kashmir on Friday extended support to the inauguration while also describing the opposition's decision as "childish and trivial".

'Sengol' ceremony was conducted in Chola Empire, what IMKMK said | “This tradition is not limited to Tamil culture alone but is an integral part of Indian traditions. The Chola emperors were renowned as some of the greatest rulers in the world, and they also conducted the ‘Sengol’ ceremony. Prime Minister Modi is a capable leader, and he is rightfully performing the ‘Sengol’ by inaugurating the new Parliament Building,” said Devanathan Yadav, Founder-President of Tamil Nadu-based Inthiya Makkal Kalvi Munnetra Kazhagam (IMKMK).

How Modi Govt Found the Sengol: It Took 2 Yrs, A Thuglak Article, Letter to PMO & a 'Time' Report

The Narendra Modi government did a thorough two-year-long exercise of looking at official records and media articles dating back to 1947, including one in Time magazine, to establish the significance of the ‘Sengol’ and the authenticity of the ‘Sengol Vesting Ceremony’ on the night of August 14, 1947, that symbolized the transfer of power to India.

The events were triggered by an article in Thuglak magazine on May 5, 2021, by S Gurumurthy that said the ‘Sengol’ was a symbol of Independence given to India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru by a Tamil pontiff.

Within a few days, renowned classical dancer Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam sent the English translation version of the article to the Prime Minister’s Office. She pleaded that a profound, sacred, and historic ceremony of ‘Sengol-vesting’ had been kept out of public knowledge and history and that the Modi government must make this public on the occasion of Independence Day in 2021.

Two year-long exercise

This prompted the PMO and the Culture Ministry to dig up old records and media reports to establish the significance of the ‘Sengol’. Officials culled details from newspapers, and books by respected authors and pored over the information available online about the presentation of the ‘Sengol’ to Nehru at his residence.

The Chairman of Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, Nripendra Mishra, was requested to check if some references or photographs of this ceremony were available in the private papers of Nehru in the Nehru Museum and Library.

A key discovery was an article in Time magazine dated August 25, 1947, which carried a detailed report of the ‘Sengol’ ritual in its ‘foreign news’ section.

Nripendra Misra, in a letter on April 26, 2022, gave to the government details of a book titled The lndian ldeology written by Perry Anderson, as well as another book referring to the same by Tai Yong Tan and Gyanesh Kudaisya titled The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia.

The government also found DF Karaka’s book dated 1950 that corroborated that the ‘Sengol’ was handed over by Tanjore priests as the symbol of the traditional Indian method of deriving ruling authority from holy men.

Other similar proof found by the government regarding the ceremony included Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s writing dated December 1955, the Freedom at Midnight book by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins, and Yasmin Khan’s book Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan.

Various other media reports from 1947 corroborated the same. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Policy Note of 2021-22, published by the DMK government, also recounted the ‘Sengol’ ceremony of 1947. A report presented by the DMK government to the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 2021-22 mentioned this.

The government finally found the 77-year-old ‘Sengol’ to be preserved in the Allahabad Museum in a nondescript location for decades and categorized as Nehru’s ‘golden walking stick’. It will now finally find its place of pride in the new Parliament building in Delhi.

Sources:

1. https://time.com/6282819/india-parliament-narendra-modi-controversy/
2. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/new-parliament-building-inauguration-controversy-pm-modi-opposition-president-murmu-2384522-2023-05-26
3. https://www.indiatoday.in/law/story/pil-in-supreme-court-seeks-directions-issued-to-ls-secretariat-govt-over-opening-of-new-parliament-building-by-president-2384095-2023-05-25
4. https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/parliament-new-building-supreme-c
5. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/plea-in-supreme-court-against-central-vista-project-2324061
6. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/sc-issues-notice-on-pil-challenging-central-vista-project/article33225532.ece
7. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/plea-in-supreme-court-against-central-vista-project-2333040
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13. https://www.livemint.com/news/india/central-vista-project-why-are-activists-lawyers-opposing-it-11610796577207.html
14. https://www.barandbench.com/news/litigation/rajeev-suri-files-pil-in-supreme-court-challenging-central-vista-project
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