Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla arrived early this Sunday morning and attended a puja and havan to mark the beginning of the opening ceremony of the new Parliament building. PM Modi installed the historic Sengol, a symbol of governance in Tamil kingdoms of yore, in the Lok Sabha chamber, right next to the Speaker’s chair. The Sengol was installed near the Lok Sabha’s speaker’s chair after an elaborate havan and pooja in the presence of over 60 Adheenam seers who had arrived in Delhi from across Tamil Nadu. Also Read: New Parliament building inauguration: As it happened In his first address at the new Parliament building this afternoon,  Prime Minister Narendra Modi,  said, “The new Parliament building will be a testament to the start of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India). It will be a witness to our journey towards a Viksit Bharat (developed India).”

The new Parliament House is a reflection of the aspirations of new India. https://t.co/qfDGsghJgF

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 28, 2023

The Prime Minister said that the new Parliament House is much more than “just a building”. The new Parliament, he said, encompasses the aspirations and dreams of 1.4 billion people. “It sends a powerful message to the world about India’s unwavering determination.” The Prime Minister said that the historic Sengol was considered a symbol of the Kartavya path (path of duty), Seva Path (path of service) and Rashtra path (path of the nation) in the Chola empire. Also Read: What is Sengol, the historic sceptre placed in new Parliament building? he said that when India progresses, the world progresses and thus, the new Parliament, will also lead to the development of the world through the development of India. The PM also said that from panchayat bhawans to the Sansad Bhawan, the government’s goal is the development of our nation and its people. “Today, as we take pride in the construction of this new Parliament, it also gives me immense satisfaction about the construction of homes for 4 crore poor people and 11 crore toilets in the country in the last nine years. “When we talk about modern facilities in the new Parliament, I am happy that we have constructed over 4 lakh km of roads to connect villages in the country.” Explaining why new Parliament was the need of the hour, PM Modi said,  “In the future when the number of MPs increases, where would they sit? Therefore, the new Parliament building was the need of the hour.”

The inauguration ceremony, which has been mired in controversy over the Opposition choosing to boycott it, saw another development as the Lalu Prasad Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal posted a tweet comparing the new building’s structure to that of a coffin. The RJD’s tweet featured a caption that asked, “What’s this?” This drew sharp comments online and an angry response from the BJP. “What can be more unfortunate than this? They have no brains. This new Parliament building has been built with public money. Representatives of all parties, even if they have boycotted the inauguration, will be attending Parliament proceedings there. Has the RJD decided to permanently boycott Parliament? Will their MPs resign from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha?” Sushil Kumar Modi, Rajya Sabha MP and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister asked as he sought a case of treason against those responsible for the tweet. Another BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi told the agency that no political comments should be made on the day when the new  Parliament building is being inaugurated. All political parties shoulr rise above politics and respect this. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised Modi for not ‘allowing’ President Droupadi Murmu to fulfil her Constitutional duties by inaugurating the new Parliament building. “The President — the first Adivasi to become President — is not allowed to fulfil her Constitutional duties and inaugurate the New Parliament building in 2023,” Ramesh tweeted on Sunday morning during the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “A self-glorifying authoritarian Prime Minister with utter disdain for Parliamentary procedures, who rarely attends Parliament or engages in it, inaugurates the New Parliament building in 2023,” the tweet said.