President not invited to new Parliament inauguration as ‘she is widow, tribal’: Udhayanidhi’s fresh attack on Sanatan Dharma
The inauguration of the new Parliament building in India on September 17, 2023, was a historic occasion that marked the completion of the Central Vista project, a massive redevelopment of the country's seat of power. However, the event also sparked a controversy over the absence of President Droupadi Murmu, the first woman and the first tribal to hold the highest constitutional office in India.
According to Udhayanidhi Stalin, the minister of sports and youth affairs in Tamil Nadu and the son of Chief Minister MK Stalin, the President was not invited to the inauguration because she is a widow and belongs to the tribal community. He alleged that this was a deliberate snub by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which follows the ideology of Sanatan Dharma, a term used by some Hindu groups to refer to their religion as eternal and supreme.
Udhayanidhi Stalin, who is also the chief of the youth wing of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), a regional party that opposes the BJP and its Hindutva agenda, made this accusation at an event in Madurai on September 20, 2023. He said that the BJP had invited adheenams (mutt priests) from Tamil Nadu for the inauguration, but left out the President of India. He questioned if this was Sanatan Dharma and said that his party will continue to raise its voice against it¹.
This was not the first time that Udhayanidhi Stalin had criticised the BJP and Sanatan Dharma. Earlier this month, he had compared Sanatan Dharma with diseases like dengue and malaria and said that it should not be merely opposed but eradicated. He said that the DMK was founded on the principles of eradicating Sanatanam, a term used by the party to denote the Brahminical and casteist aspects of Hinduism².
His comments had sparked a backlash from the BJP and other Hindu groups, who accused him of hurting the sentiments of the majority community and demanded an apology. The BJP also insisted that the Congress, the DMK's ally at the national level, should condemn his remarks. However, Udhayanidhi Stalin had maintained his stand and said that his comments were about fighting an ideology and not a religion³.
The controversy over the President's absence from the new Parliament inauguration also drew the attention of other opposition leaders, who expressed their surprise and displeasure over the matter. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had attended the event, said that he was shocked to see that the President was not there and wondered why she was not invited. He said that the President represents the nation and should have been present at such an important occasion⁴.
Other leaders like Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also questioned the BJP's decision to exclude the President from the inauguration. They said that it was an insult to the constitutional authority and the dignity of the office. They also alleged that the BJP was trying to undermine the role of the President and impose its own agenda on the country.
The BJP, on the other hand, defended its move and said that there was no intention to disrespect the President or any other institution. It said that the invitation for the inauguration was sent by the Lok Sabha Speaker, who is the custodian of the Parliament, and not by the government. It also said that the President had been invited to address the joint session of the Parliament on October 2, 2023, which is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the International Day of Non-Violence.
The BJP also accused the opposition parties of politicising the issue and creating unnecessary controversy. It said that the opposition parties were trying to divert the attention from the achievements of the government and the historic significance of the new Parliament building. It said that the new Parliament building was a symbol of the aspirations of the people and the vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had laid the foundation stone for the project on December 10, 2020.
The new Parliament building, which has been constructed at a cost of nearly Rs 800 crore, is a part of the Central Vista project, which involves the redevelopment of the 3-km stretch from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate in New Delhi. The project, which has been mired in controversies and legal challenges, aims to create a new administrative and cultural hub for the nation. The new Parliament building, which has a triangular shape and a larger seating capacity, is expected to be fully functional by the winter session of 2023.
The inauguration of the new Parliament building has thus become a flashpoint of contention between the ruling and the opposition parties, as well as between the proponents and the critics of Sanatan Dharma. The issue has also raised questions about the role and the respect of the President, who is the head of the state and the first citizen of the country. The debate is likely to continue in the coming days, as the country prepares to celebrate the 75th year of its independence in 2023.
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(1) Prez not invited to new Parl as she is tribal, widow: Stalin Jr. https://www.rediff.com/news/report/prez-not-invited-to-new-parl-as-she-is-tribal-widow-stalin-jr/20230921.htm.
(2) President not invited to new Parliament inauguration as ‘she is widow .... https://indianexpress.com/article/india/president-new-parliament-inauguration-widow-tribal-udhayanidhi-sanatan-dharma-8949059/.
(3) President not invited to new Parliament as she is tribal, widow: Udhayanidhi Stalin. https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/president-not-invited-to-new-parliament-as-she-is-tribal-widow-udhayanidhi-stalin/ar-AA1h0J8E.
(4) President not invited to new Parliament as she is tribal, widow .... https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/udhayanidhi-slams-centre-for-not-inviting-president-new-parliament-2438361-2023-09-20.
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