The new parliament will witness India’s journey to a developed nation: Modi
Speaking to parliamentarians, Modi said that the decisions taken in this parliament will determine the fate of all parts of the society and that the laws passed will help lift people out of poverty and empower the marginalized parts of society .
Notably, the new parliament complex was inaugurated on the birthday of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar.
“Every decision made here will lay the foundation for India’s glorious future…the way to empower the poor, dalits, disadvantaged, tribals, divyangs and other marginalized groups is here,” he said.
Speaking about the importance of the new parliament complex, Prime Minister Modi said the state-of-the-art complex was urgently needed given the expected increase in the number of MPs.
Currently, Lok Sabha has 543 members. Rajya Sabha consists of 250 members.
As many as 19 opposition parties, including the main Indian National Congress (INC), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), boycotted the event, accusing the prime minister of sidelining President Droupadi Murmu.
Modi pointed out that the construction of the new parliament building provided employment for 60,000 workers and that a digital gallery has also been built in the complex to commemorate the workers’ contribution.
PTI reported that the building was completed in nearly two and a half years at an estimated cost of nearly €1,200 crore, PTI reported. The building can accommodate 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 300 members in the Rajya Sabha.
Talking about the past 9 years, the Prime Minister said that any expert will treat these 9 years as years of reconstruction and Gareeb Kalyan. He said that in this hour of pride for the new building, he also felt satisfaction for the 4 crore houses for the poor.
The Prime Minister further praised the policies of the government such as construction of 11 crore toilets, more than 4 lakh km of roads to connect villages, more than 50,000 Amrit Sarovars and more than 30,000 new Panchayat Bhawans.
“From Panchayat Bhawans to Parliament, only one inspiration guided us, which is the development of the nation and its people,” he added.
“The new parliament is more than just a building, it encompasses the aspirations and dreams of 1.4 billion people. It sends a strong message to the world about India’s unwavering determination,” he said.
Modi went on to speak of the ‘Sengol’ and stated that it was a symbol of power transfer from the British.
“In the Chola Empire, it (Sengol) was considered a symbol of the Kartavya path (path of duty), Seva path (path of service) and Rashtra path (path of the nation),” Modi said.
“Our democracy is our inspiration, our constitution, our determination. Parliament is the best representative of this inspiration and resolution,” he added.
The prime minister emphasized the importance of parliament and said that it is the resolution of 140 crore Indians that the parliament consecrates. He expressed the hope that every decision made here will adorn the centuries to come and strengthen the generations to come.
According to a government statement, Modi said that the path of empowering the poor, dalits, backward, tribal, disabled and every disadvantaged family of the society, along with prioritizing the development of the disadvantaged, will pass through this parliament.
“Every stone, every wall, every particle of this new parliament building will be dedicated to the welfare of the poor,” Modi added.
Over the next 25 years, the Prime Minister stressed that the new laws to be made in this new parliament building will make India a developed country, help drive poverty out of India and create new opportunities for the country’s youth and women.
(with input from PTI)
Updated: May 28, 2023, 6:34 PM IST