EDITORIAL: Reminiscent of coronation – Telangana Today

To ensure the spotlight was on him throughout the event, Modi turned the inauguration of the new parliament into a self-promotional exercise

The inauguration of the new parliament building was pompous and ceremonial, with all the hallmarks of a coronation, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi behaved no less than an emperor. The event was meant to celebrate the ethos of democracy, diversity and inclusion – the values ​​Parliament stands for – and it might sound contradictory, but the proceedings bore the stamp of royalty and were entirely centered on one person. Modi, who wore his religious identity on his sleeve, presided over the ceremony himself and ensured that the spotlight was on him throughout the event at the expense of others, turned the inauguration into a self-promotional exercise. It is good that the prime minister says parliament is the temple of democracy, but the discriminatory practices of the NDA government have forced the vast majority of opposition parties to boycott the inauguration. Despite constitutional restrictions, the government has shut out President Drapadi Murmu, reinforcing the absolute supremacy of the prime minister. Article 79 of the Constitution states that the Parliament consists of the President and two chambers, known as the Council of State and the People’s Chamber. Unlike the precedent in the United States, India’s constitution clearly stipulates that the president is a member of the legislature. According to Article 77, the President remains the official head of the executive branch and all executive actions of the union must be expressed in the name of the President.

Claiming his right to inaugurate the new parliament building and to leave his stamp on every aspect of it, Modi claims to be the embodiment of the country, and indeed its democracy. He is unquestionably the leader of the House, but over the past nine years, one wonders how much time he has spent listening to those who disagree with him. Under his rule, most of the bills were passed without any scrutiny and many of them were arbitrarily labeled as money bills to avoid defeat in the Rajya Sabha. In fact, the prime minister barely attends parliament and refuses to answer questions. There are institutions and moments in the life of a nation that transcend today’s politics. Parliamentary system is one of them. It is a place of debate, where the voices of the people are heard through their representatives and governments are held accountable. The BJP’s reluctance to engage in dialogue across party lines is evidence that Parliament has failed to deliver on its promises. Today, the House of Representatives is a shrunken place, and the construction of a new parliament cannot escape the narrow political spirit that pervades it.