Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar on Monday supported the new Parliament building, saying it is needed keeping in mind the population of the country. Keeping in mind the population of the country going beyond 135 crores, the people representing them will also increase. That’s why I personally feel that this new Parliament building was needed. It was built in record time even during the Covid period. Now in this new building, everyone should work according to the constitution and solve the issues of common people, everyone should participate in it.
Ajit Pawar’s statement is in stark contrast to the stand taken by the NCP, which was among 20 opposition parties that did not attend the inauguration of the new parliament building on Sunday. Ajit’s uncle Sharad Pawar had expressed concern over the rituals during the inauguration.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar said, “I saw the function in the morning. I’m glad I didn’t go there. I am worried seeing what happened there. There is a vast difference between the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru talking about the concept of modern India and the series of rituals performed at the new Parliament House in New Delhi today. I fear we are taking our country back decades.”
Ajit Pawar’s cousin Supriya Sule also agreed with Sharad Pawar’s statement and termed the inauguration as an ‘incomplete event’.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the new Parliament complex amid Vedic rituals and a multi-faith prayer ceremony. He also installed the historic ‘Sengol’ brought from Tamil Nadu in the Lok Sabha chamber next to the speaker’s chair.