Parliament row reaches Supreme Court; PlL filed seeking Inauguration by President of India

Amid the new Parliament boycott row, a plea has been filed in the Supreme Court urging to pass an order directing the President of India to inaugurate the new Parliament building instead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed by Advocate CR Jaya Sukin as party-in-person stated that the Parliament is the supreme legislative body of India. The Indian Parliament comprises the President and the two Houses - Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and Lok Sabha(House of the People). The President has the power to summon and prorogue either House of Parliament or to dissolve Lok Sabha.

The petitioner has filed this writ petition urging the Top court to issue a direction that the new Parliament building should be inaugurated by the President of India. The Petitioner further stated that the Lok Sabha Secretariat has violated Indian Constitution by not inviting the President for the inauguration. Citing the Lok Sabha Secretary General's recent statement that was issued on May 18 which said that the new Parliament building will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28. 

"The President of India Droupadi Murmu is not being invited to the inauguration of the new Parliament Building. Indian President enjoys certain powers and performs a variety of ceremonial functions. The powers of the President include Executive, Legislative, Judiciary, emergency, and military powers. That Respondents are the inauguration of the new Parliament Building is not according to Law', the PIL said.

The petition further stated, "Apex Court interference need to save democracy of this Nation".

#BREAKING | Parliament boycott controversy reaches SC. PIL filed in Top Court seeks direction that new Parliament building should be inaugurated by President of India.#SC #NewParliamentBuilding #ParliamentInauguration https://t.co/6CjsNJaatY pic.twitter.com/loWyDEaTzX

— Republic (@republic)

The preparations for the inauguration ceremony are in full swing as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will dedicate the newly built Parliament building to the nation on May 28, Sunday.

The divisive politics over the inauguration has intensified as a total of 20 political parties have decided to boycott the ceremony. The controversy erupted when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building and not President Droupadi Murmu. Rahul Gandhi's comments were just the beginning of a barrage of attacks from the opposition. The parties argued that it is the President who makes the Parliament along with the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and House of the People (Lok Sabha).