New Parliament on ruins of liberal democracy: Congress

Congress and Left parties on Thursday slammed the Modi government over the new Parliament building, alleging that it was being built on the “ruins of a liberal democracy”.

“The foundation for a new Parliament building was laid on the ruins of a liberal democracy,” former Home Minister P Chidambaram said.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury described the new parliament building as a “colossal waste of resources” at a time when people need three meals a day, there was no clarity on the vaccine, jobs were being lost and farmers were on the streets.

“Is this the priority this time,” Yechury asked.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said history would record that when farmers were fighting for their rights by protesting on the streets, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was busy laying the foundation stone of the new Parliament building.

Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Manish Tewari found similarities in the design for the new Parliament building with the Pentagon, the heardquarters of the US Department of Defence, in Washington.

Ramesh said the existing Parliament building built by the British bears a remarkable similarity to the Chausath Yogini Temple in Morena in Madhya Pradesh, while the new 'Atmanirbhar' Parliament building bears an eerie likeness to the Pentagon in Washington DC. He also shared pictures of the old and new Parliament buildings and that of the Pentagon and the Morena temple to draw a comparison.

“Well, the existing Parliament building built by the Brits bears a remarkable similarity to the Chausath Yogini Temple in Morena in Madhya Pradesh, while the new ‘Atmanirbhar’ Parliament building bears an eerie likeness to the Pentagon in Washington DC,” Ramesh said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Udit Raj organised a protest march to demand that the new building be named after B R Ambedkar.