Naveen Patnaik's party to attend new Parliament's inauguration amid Oppositions' boycott plan

Nineteen opposition parties including Congress will boycott the inauguration of the country's new Parliament building on Sunday, media reports said.

The parties include Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, DMK, Left, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United), Nationalist Congress Party, Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena, and others.

The boycott will mark the parties' protest against the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi instead of President Droupadi Murmu.

In their response on the same, the BJD said the President and Parliament have "sanctity" and issues can be debated later.

The boycott is widely seen as a step towards Opposition unity in the backdrop of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s defeat in Karnataka polls and eyeing the next year's General Elections.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's TMC was the first to boycott the inauguration ceremony followed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's AAP, which is presently at the loggerheads with the Centre over sharing of powers in the national capitals.

The new building of Parliament will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday to mark nine years of his government.

The foundation stone of the new parliament building was laid by PM Modi, who took oath as the Prime Minister on May 26, 2014 for the first term,in December 2020.

The four-storey building, built at an estimated cost of Rs 970 crores, can house 1,224 MPs, officials said.

It also has a grand Constitution hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, dining areas, and ample parking space.

The new structure has three doors, Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar, and Karma Dwar, and separate entries for MPs, VIPs, and visitors, officials said.