New Parliament Building Inauguration LIVE: 'Sengol' Kept in Museum As 'Stick of Nehruji', Smriti Irani Tears Into Cong

© Provided by News18 New Parliament Building Inauguration LIVE: 'Sengol' Kept in Museum As 'Stick of Nehruji', Smriti Irani Tears Into Cong

New Parliament House Inauguration LIVE: The Congress on Friday released a booklet “nau saal, nau sawaal”, expecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reply on the nine questions. “Rahul Gandhi was asking direct questions to the PM when he was on Bharat Jodo Yatra, but the prime minister didn’t reply,” Jairam Ramesh said. Union Minister Smriti Irani expressed her strong criticism of the Congress party during a press conference regarding the opposition parties’ boycott. Lashing out at Congress, Irani said, “the ‘Sengol’ which is a symbol of our freedom was kept in a dark corner of a museum as a ‘stick of Nehruji’ by the Gandhi family.”

The nine questions come at a time when the Congress is already attacking the BJP government over “false narratives being spread on ‘Sengol’ through WhatsApp University”.

The Supreme Court today rejected a plea seeking inauguration of the new Parliament building by President Droupadi Murmu. “We know why you file such petitions. We are not inclined to entertain this petition,” said the top court.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday (May 26) said that there was “no documented evidence whatsoever” of India’s last viceroy Lord Mountbatten, country’s last governor-general C Rajagopalachari and first PM Jawaharlal Nehru describing ‘Sengol’ as a symbol of transfer of British power to India.

“All claims to this effect are plain and simple — BOGUS,” the Congress leader added. Reacting with a sarcasm-laden statement, BJP leader and Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar tweeted with laughing emojis: “Out comes the spin by Rahul’s spin master”.

“History n Tradition of #Sengol that was attempted to be shamelessly buried as “walking stick” has come out. Appropriate response is contrition n to join all Indians in celebrating this re-discovery of our tradition n culture that Pt Nehru was part of (sic),” the BJP leader added.

As the Opposition stepped up its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the inauguration, the Press Club of India wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla drawing his attention to “continuous and unrelenting restrictions imposed on entry of journalists covering Parliament over the last several sessions.”

In the letter to Om Birla, Press Club of India said that a large number of journalists covering Parliament proceedings for the last several decades are still being denied the opportunity to cover Parliament proceedings despite having permanent press gallery passes.

The journalists added that they understand that these restrictions were imposed due to Covid-19 pandemic but with the situation gradually easing, the media feels “these superfluous restrictions have no logical basis or rationale”.

Meanwhile, the Union finance ministry has announced minting of Rs 75 coin to commemorate the opening of new Parliament building. According to the notification, the coin will be circular in shape and have the inscription ‘Parliament Complex’ with the image of the new building.

It will be 44 millimeters in diameter and will have 200 serrations along the edges. The metallic composition of the coin will have quaternary alloy consisting of 50% silver, 40% copper, 5% nickel and 5% zinc, the notification stated.

A report in Hindustan Times stated that the Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar along with the inscription ‘Satyamev Jayate’ will be featured in the center of the coin’s obverse side. The left periphery will of the coin will have Bharat inscribed in Devanagari script and India in English.

The report further stated that the upper periphery will have Sansad Bhavan inscribed in Devanagari script and the lower periphery will have Parliament Complex in English.

The announcement comes amid the Opposition’s objections to PM Modi inaugurating the new Parliament building, with the Congress saying “one man’s ego and desire for self-promotion” has denied the first tribal woman president her constitutional privilege to inaugurate the complex.

As the political row over the opening of the building in New Delhi on Sunday escalated, the BJP hit back alleging that the opposition parties have decided to boycott the inauguration just because it has been built at the initiative of Prime Minister Modi.

The BJP also appealed to the opposition parties to attend the “historic day” of its inauguration by showing “big heart”.

As many as 20 opposition parties including the Congress have announced their boycott of the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Modi. On the other hand, 25 parties have said they will participate in the inauguration and these include seven non-NDA parties.

The BSP, Shiromani Akali Dal, Janata Dal (Secular), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), YSR Congress, BJD and TDP are the seven non-NDA parties. The presence of these seven parties, which together account for 50 MPs in the Lok Sabha, will be a major relief for the BJP-led NDA. Their participation will also help the NDA blunt the Opposition’s charge that it is all a government event.

BSP president Mayawati called the opposition boycott inappropriate and welcomed the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Modi. She also said the opposition should have thought about “tribal honour” when it fielded a candidate against Murmu and denied her an unopposed election.

Nineteen Opposition parties, including the Congress, Left, TMC, Samajwadi Party (SP) and AAP, have jointly announced the boycott, saying they find no value in a new building when the “soul of democracy has been sucked out”. Separately, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has said if Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla does not inaugurate the new Parliament building, his party would not attend the event.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Thursday said it will take part in the inauguration of the new Parliament building with party chief N Chandrababu Naidu instructing Rajya Sabha MP Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar to represent the party. The JD(S) supremo and former prime minister Deve Gowda also said he would attend the inauguration.