Groundbreaking for the new parliament in Central Vista took place today.
The Congress attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new parliament today, giving a reminder of the farmers protest going on outside the borders of the national capital for more than two weeks. The farmers, who have been camping in the bitter cold, yesterday said they will escalate their protest after the government indicated that it was not ready to accede to their demands. Five farmers have died since the protests started.
"Mr. Modi, History will also record that when the Annadata was fighting for their rights for 16 days on the streets, you were building a palace for yourself in the name of Central Vista! In democracy, power is not a means to fulfill whims, it is a medium for public service and public welfare," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted in Hindi today under hashtag "farmers".
Another tweet from him read:
PM Modi performed ground-breaking ceremony in the heart of Delhi this afternoon, which marked the symbolic beginning of the new parliament building that's the centrepiece of the government's Rs 20,000-crore Central Vista plan. The proposed four-storied parliament building will cost nearly Rs 1,000 crore.
The huge expense, coming amid the twin challenges of economic downturn and the coronavirus pandemic, has been vehemently criticised by the opposition.
The Central Vista Plan has also been challenged in Supreme Court, which pulled up the government last week for "pushing ahead aggressively" with the project even before a decision was taken on the petition.
"You can lay the foundation stone, you can carry on paperwork but no construction or demolition, no cutting down any trees," the court had said.
The farmers' protest at the borders of Delhi entered its 16th day today. Five rounds of talks with Union agriculture minister Narendra Tomar and one round with Union home minister Amit Shah have failed.
After Tuesday's talks with Amit Shah, the farmers have chalked out a countrywide protest programe, saying the government's offer of amending the contentious farm laws was an "insult" to the country and its farmers.