"Bad message to world if President kept away from event": AAP's Saurabh Bhardwaj on new Parliament inauguration row

New Delhi [India], May 24 : Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj on Wednesday said that a bad message will be sent out to the world if the President of India is kept away from inaugurating the newly-constructed Parliament building.
Saurabh Bhardwaj also said that the BJP and the Central Government should consider performing the Havan and Yagya rituals by offering oblations at the hands of the President who is coming from the Scheduled Tribe community.
"Today every person belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and all those who have been demanding their rights are sad. A very bad message will be sent to the whole world about India by keeping the President coming from a Scheduled Tribe society away from such a big event," Bhardwaj said.
"I would request the BJP and the Central Government that especially Havan and Yagya should be started by offering oblations at the hands of the President coming from the Scheduled Tribe community," he added.
He further stated that the President being the first citizen of the country should become the host of the event.
"For thousands of years, the forward castes have kept the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes away from their rights. Being a Brahmin, I am saying this because Brahmins have been condemned for thousands of years only because of this. The President is the first citizen of the country, in such a way this Havan should be started by her," he said.
Earlier today Congress and eighteen other opposition parties decided to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament Building, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to inaugurate the building without President Droupadi Murmu "insults the high office of the President, and violates the letter and spirit of the Constitution".
In a joint statement, the like-minded opposition parties said that Prime Minister's decision to inaugurate the building by himself is "a direct assault on our democracy, which demands a commensurate response."
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be dedicating the newly-constructed Parliament building to the country on May 28.
The foundation stone of the new building of Parliament was laid by Prime Minister Modi on December 10, 2020.
Keeping in view the future requirements, arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 384 members in the Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building of the Parliament. The joint session of both Houses will be held in Lok Sabha Chamber.