"Inauguration of Parliament building by PM is against democratic norms": RSP MP N K Premachandran

Kollam(Kerala) [India], May 26 : Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP N K Premachandran on Saturday said that the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi instead of the country's President is a "violation of democratic norms".

"The head of the state is none other than the president of India. The President of India is the constitutional head of the country," he said. So "the parliament building must be inaugurated by the head of the state," he reasoned.

Premachandran noted that the Prime minister, speaker, and chief justice are heads of the executive, legislature and judiciary respectively but the head of the state is the president of India.

Giving out the reason why the president should do the Parliament building inauguration, he said that Prime Minister has no privilege in Parliament other than being the leader of the house.

"It is a constitutional provision that a joint session of the Parliament is addressed by the president of India, not by the prime minister. The prime minister has no privilege in the parliament other than being the leader of the house," Premachandran said.

"In such a situation president is just being a spectator when the parliament building is inaugurated by the Prime Minister is against all the democratic norms," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla will lead the inauguration ceremony of the new parliament building on Sunday, May 28, which will be dedicated to the nation.

Even though the exact details of the inauguration have not been made public,has learnt through reliable sources that the inauguration will take place in two phases.

The sources toldthat the rituals ahead of the inaugural ceremony will begin in the morning and is likely to be held in a pandal (canopy) near the Gandhi statue in Parliament. PM Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Hariwansh and some senior ministers in the government are likely to be part of the ceremony.