The opposition gave importance to its unity more than the country’s parliament

The framers of the constitution had formed the constitution considering the Parliament House as the sacred place of Indian democracy, at that time even they would not have guessed that this building is going to follow the democratic ideals in the world while walking on the path of peace and progress of the country. Instead, it will become a shameful arena of politics. First the controversy over the membership of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and now the new building of Parliament has become a cause of trouble in the ruling party and the opposition. India’s image in the world is being affected by the bitterness between the ruling party and the opposition regarding the inauguration of the new Parliament House. This is not the first case of sharp confrontation between the ruling party and the opposition. Earlier, due to the action of ED and CBI on the opposition parties, such a scene was also seen. Although the opposition could not get relief from the Supreme Court on this issue, the tension between the BJP and the opposition parties further increased.

There is a political ruckus about the new Parliament building, which is not taking the name of abating. The opposition boycotted the inauguration ceremony of the new parliament, unity is visible in many parties even in this boycott, in fact, the opposition wants to unite in the 2024 elections through different issues and shoot election arrows towards the BJP. This new parliament building is opening as a new building of acrimony between the government and the opposition. There are indications that this rift may widen further by the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have targeted the central government. The entire opposition remained adamant on boycotting the ceremony, insisting on the inauguration by President Draupadi Murmu. Kharge told Prime Minister Modi that the arrogance of your government has destroyed the parliamentary system. The office of His Excellency the President is the first organ of the Parliament. The arrogance of the government has destroyed the parliamentary system.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted on this issue that ‘the President should inaugurate the new Parliament House, not the PM’. Regarding the boycott of the opposition, Home Minister Amit Shah said that you should not mix it with politics. Everyone is working according to their conscience. The BJP has also listed a list of such inaugurations held during the governments of Congress and other states, in which the President or the Governor was not invited. 19 opposition parties including Congress and Samajwadi Party boycotted the inauguration of the new Parliament House by PM Modi. All the parties were opposing-supporting as per their convenience and on the basis of the equation of votes. All eyes are on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the upcoming state elections. The Congress is expected to do well in 2024 by wooing SCs, STs and backward castes. This seems to have been his strong vote bank and worked in his favor in Karnataka as well. It is believed that this is the reason why this turn came in the politics of boycott.

19 opposition parties including Congress, TMC, Samajwadi Party (SP) and AAP have decided to join hands on the issue of boycott of the new Parliament building. Not surprisingly, other opposition parties such as the Telugu Desam Party, YSR Congress and Biju Janata Dal participated in the inauguration ceremony. These parties have been running closer to the BJP for a long time and TDP is certainly moving closer to the BJP in the hope of rejoining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). A small havan was performed before the inauguration of the new building and this too is being objected to by the opposition party leaders. The BJP will certainly not miss out on making the protest against Havan an election issue. On issues of nationalism and national interest, the Congress, like some other opposition parties, has been on the backfoot. At least for the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and the Prime Minister will definitely make it an issue.

Opposition parties are strongly opposing the BJP government at the Center on this issue. Due to the opposition of the opposition parties, there is not much possibility that all of them will unite and contest the upcoming elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Opposition parties could not show unity in the case of Rahul Gandhi’s membership before the Parliament House. The possibility of opposition unity is slim by merely opposing the BJP. Opposition parties have been opposing the BJP for the past several years, but even in the elections held earlier, their opposition could not bring unity to the fore. Opposition parties are trying to unite to prevent the enactment of an ordinance in the Rajya Sabha to limit the rights of the Arvind Kejriwal government by issuing an ordinance by the central government, although the Congress has kept distance from it, but the Parliament It will not be easy for Congress to vote in favor of this law. In such a situation, the only way out for the Congress would be a walkout. The issue of confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties on the inauguration of the Parliament House may have become an election issue, but a new chapter has been added to the crumbling healthy traditions of democracy. It is necessary for the country and democracy that the ruling party and the opposition rise above their narrow interests and form an opinion on issues of such national importance.

– Yogendra Yogi