"Considering It Coronation": Rahul Gandhi Jabs PM On New Parliament Opening

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new parliament building, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi took a jibe at him, saying he is considering the inauguration of the new building as a coronation ceremony.

"Parliament is the voice of the people!

The Prime Minister is considering the inauguration of the Parliament House as a coronation," Mr Gandhi tweeted in Hindi. 

Rahul Gandhi's party, Congress, is among 20 parties that boycotted the grand opening of the new parliament, questioning why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inaugurating the new building.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has labelled the decision to boycott the inauguration a "blatant affront to democratic ethos and constitutional values of our great nation".

Rahul Gandhi had earlier said neither getting President Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate the new Parliament building, nor inviting her to the ceremony, is an "insult" to the country's highest constitutional post. He also said Parliament is not built by "bricks of ego" but through constitutional values.

"Prime Minister Modi's decision to inaugurate the new parliament building by himself, completely sidelining President (Droupadi) Murmu, is not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy... This undignified act insults the high office of the President and violates the letter and spirit of the Constitution. It undermines the spirit of inclusion which saw the nation celebrate its first woman Adivasi President," opposition parties boycotting the event have said in a statement.

Earlier today, the Lalu Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) drew massive flak over a tweet comparing the new parliament building's shape to that of a coffin. The BJP hit back, calling it disrespectful and revealing a cheap mindset, and demanded those behind the Twitter post should be charged with treason.

RJD's fellow opposition party AIMIM too, while arguing that the Lok Sabha Speaker should have inaugurated the new parliament building and not Prime Minister Narendra Modi, criticised it for the comparison.

"RJD has no stand, the old Parliament building did not even have clearance from Delhi Fire Service. Why are they (RJD) calling the Parliament a coffin? They could have said anything else, why do they need to bring this angle?" AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi told news agency ANI.