Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28 morning inaugurated the new Parliament building in the heart of Delhi, with the ceremony marked by the installation of the sengol, a sceptre, in the new Lok Sabha chamber next to the Speaker’s chair.
As the Congress and 19 other opposition parties, boycotted the ceremony that was televised live, Modi received the 100-year-old sengol from seers of adheenams, or maths, from Tamil Nadu and carried the sceptre to the Lok Sabha in the morning amid chants.
The opposition parties have accused the government of overlooking the Constitution and had said President Droupadi Murmu should have inaugurated the new Parliament complex.
The opposition has also questioned the government’s decision over the sengol. The government has said the sengol represents the unification of independent India with the pre-colonial era. The sengol bridges the glorious years and traditions of India’s past with the future of an independent India, the government has said.
Modi, accompanied by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, performed a havan and other rituals as the ceremony got underway. The Prime Minister and the Speaker also unveiled the commemorative plaque, which was followed by a multi-faith prayer.
The new parliament built at a cost of Rs. 970 crores, is a historic moment for the Indians and the history of Indian politics.
